''Rhododendron'' subg. ''Choniastrum'' is a subgenus of the genus ''

Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

'', originally a section of subgenus ''Azaleastrum'' it was elevated to subgenus rank after

cladistic analysis Cladistics (; ) is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is typically shared derived chara ...

revealed that together with ''Rhododendron'' it formed a major

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

, distinct from other sections of ''Azaleastrum''. The subgenus includes eleven species, including; * ''

Rhododendron championae ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

'' * ''

Rhododendron hancockii ''Rhododendron hancockii'' (滇南杜鹃) is a rhododendron species native to Guangxi and Yunnan, China, where it grows at altitudes of . It is a shrub or tree that grows to in height, with leathery leaves that are obovate The following is a li ...

'' * ''

Rhododendron latoucheae ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

'' * ''

Rhododendron moulmainense ''Rhododendron moulmainense'', Westland's rhododendron, is a species of '' Rhododendron'' native to southern China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hong Kong, Hunan, Yunnan), Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is an evergreen shr ...

'' * ''

Rhododendron stamineum ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

References

Bibliography

Choniastrum ''Rhododendron'' subg. ''Choniastrum'' is a subgenus of the genus ''Rhododendron'', originally a section of subgenus ''Azaleastrum'' it was elevated to subgenus rank after cladistic analysis revealed that together with ''Rhododendron'' it forme ...

Plant subgenera Taxa named by Adrien René Franchet {{Ericaceae-stub