Rhododendron (redirected from Azaléia)

rhododendron (rō'dədĕn`drən) [Gr.,=rose tree], any plant of the genus Rhododendron, shrubs of the family Ericaceae (heath family) found chiefly in mountainous areas of the arctic and north temperate regions and also of the mountainous tropics. Encompassing more than 1,000 species, they are particularly abundant in Asia, whence many of the popular cultivated species and hybrids derive. They commonly have large, shining, leathery, evergreen, semievergreen, or deciduous leaves and clusters of large pink, white, or purplish flowers. Native American species include the great laurel, or rose bay (R. maximum), the common eastern species and the state flower of West Virginia; the mountain rose bay (R. catawbiense) of the southern mountains; and the western rhododendron (R. californicum), the state flower of Washington. The azalea and the rhodora are names used for similar shrubs of the same genus with more typically deciduous leaves. Rhododendrons are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Ericales, family Ericaceae.

Bibliography

See F. P. Lee, The Azalea Book (1965); C. L. Phillips, The Rothschild Rhododendrons (1967); J. Brown, Tales of the Rose Tree (2006).

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rhododendron

Any of about 800 diverse species of woody plants that make up the genus Rhododendron in the heath family, notable for their attractive flowers and handsome foliage. They are native chiefly in the northern temperate zone, especially in South Asia and Malaysia. Some are evergreens, others deciduous. Some are low-growing ground covers; others are tall trees. Flowers are usually tubular to funnel-shaped and occur in a wide range of colours: white, yellow, pink, scarlet, purple, and blue. See also azalea.

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rhododendron

any ericaceous shrub of the genus Rhododendron, native to S Asia but widely cultivated in N temperate regions. They are mostly evergreen and have clusters of showy red, purple, pink, or white flowers

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rhododendron

symbol of approaching pitfalls. [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 177]

See : Danger

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rhododendron

of Nepal. [Flower Symbolism: WB, 7: 264]

See : Flower Or Plant, National

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rhododendron

of Washington and West Virginia. [Flower Symbolism: Golenpaul, 644]

See : Flower, State

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Rhododendron

a genus of plants of the family Ericaceae. The plants are small trees or evergreen or deciduous shrubs. The leaves are alternate, entire, and often leathery. The bisexual, five-parted flowers, which have a large, slightly irregular corolla, are gathered into corymbiform or umbellate inflorescences. Less commonly the flowers are solitary. The fruit is a capsule, with numerous small seeds.

There are more than 600 species (according to other data, as many as 1,300), distributed mainly in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere (predominantly in North America and the mountains of East Asia). The USSR has 20 species, found in the Far East, Siberia, and the Caucasus. R. dahuricum, a branched shrub measuring 0.5-2 m tall, has deciduous leaves and large (2-3 cm) solitary lilac-pink flowers. The species grows in the Far East and Eastern Siberia. R. kamtschaticum is a low deciduous shrub reaching a height of 35 cm and having purple or red flowers that measure up to 4 cm across. The plant grows in Northern Siberia, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. R. caucasicum, an evergreen shrub reaching a height of 1-1.5 m, has white or cream-colored flowers measuring 5 cm across. It grows in the high-mountain zone of the Caucasus. R. luteum (or Azalea pontica) is a deciduous, highly proliferating shrub. The plant is about 2 m tall and has fragrant yellow or orange flowers reaching 5 cm in diameter. It grows in the mountains of the Caucasus and in isolated areas in the Western European portion of the USSR.

Many species of rhododendron are ornamental. Numerous varieties and garden forms are grown in parks, rock gardens, conservatories, and homes (azaleas). The plants are propagated from seeds, cuttings, and scions. Many species of rhododendron are good nectar bearers, but their honey often is toxic.

REFERENCES

Derev’ia i kustarniki SSSR, vol. 5. Moscow-Leningrad, 1960.
Leach, D. G. Rhododendrons of the World and How to Grow Them. London-New York, 1962.

V. N. GLADKOVA