Rhododendron subgenus Hymenanthes

''Rhododendron'' subg. ''Hymenanthes'' is a subgenus of the genus ''Rhododendron'', with a widespread distribution in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The species are evergreen shrubs and small to medium-sized trees (up to 20 m tall), with medium-sized to large leaves (very large, over 40 cm long, in a few species). The flowers are large, produced in terminal trusses of 5-40 together.

The subgenus includes two sections, ''Rhododendron'' sect. ''Ponticum'', divided into 24 subsections and about 140 species, and (since 2005) ''Rhododendron'' sect. ''Pentanthera''

Section ''Ponticum'' (24 subsections)
* Rhododendron subsect. Arborea, ''R.'' subsect. ''Arborea'' (3 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Argyrophylla, ''R.'' subsect. ''Argyrophylla'' (6 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Auriculata, ''R.'' subsect. ''Auriculata'' (one species, ''R. auriculatum'')
* Rhododendron subsect. Barbata, ''R.'' subsect. ''Barbata'' (2 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Campanulata, ''R.'' subsect. ''Campanulata'' (2 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Campylocarpa, ''R.'' subsect. ''Campylocarpa'' (4 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Falconera, ''R.'' subsect. ''Falconera'' (7 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Fortunea, ''R.'' subsect. ''Fortunea'' (10 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Fulgensia, ''R.'' subsect. ''Fulgensia'' (2 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Fulva, ''R.'' subsect. ''Fulva'' (2 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Glischra, ''R.'' subsect. ''Glischra'' (5 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Grandia, ''R.'' subsect. ''Grandia'' (9 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Griersoniana, ''R.'' subsect. ''Griersoniana'' (one species, ''R. griersonianum'')
* Rhododendron subsect. Irrorata, ''R.'' subsect. ''Irrorata'' (7 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Lanata, ''R.'' subsect. ''Lanata'' (one species, ''Rhododendron lanatum, R. lanatum'')
* Rhododendron subsect. Maculifera, ''R.'' subsect. ''Maculifera'' (6 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Neriiflora, ''R.'' subsect. ''Neriiflora'' (19 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Parishia, ''R.'' subsect. ''Parishia'' (3 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Pontica, ''R.'' subsect. ''Pontica'' (13 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Selensia, ''R.'' subsect. ''Selensia'' (5 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Taliensia, ''R.'' subsect. ''Taliensia'' (20 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Thomsonia, ''R.'' subsect. ''Thomsonia'' (7 species)
* Rhododendron subsect. Venatora, ''R.'' subsect. ''Venatora'' (one species, ''R. venator'')
* Rhododendron subsect. Williamsiana, ''R.'' subsect. ''Williamsiana'' (one species, ''R. williamsianum'')
Section ''Pentanthera'' (2 subsections)
* ''R.'' subsect. ''Pentanthera'' (G. Don) Pojarkova (15 species)
* ''R.'' subsect. ''Sinensia'' (one species: ''Rhododendron molle'')

Cultivation

This subgenus includes the majority of the larger evergreen rhododendrons widely grown as ornamental plants. Some species, notably ''Rhododendron ponticum'', have escaped from cultivation and become invasive species, invasive in some regions such as New Zealand.

References

Bibliography

*Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan.
*

External links

Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Rhododendron'' subgenus ''Hymenanthes''

Rhododendron, Hymenanthes
Plant subgenera

{{Ericaceae-stub