Rhododendron ferrugineum: Difference between revisions

'''''Rhododendron ferrugineum''''', The '''Common Alpine Rhododendron Rose''', '''Rhododendron Rose''', '''Himalayan Snow-Rose''', or the '''Rusty-leaved Himalayan Rose''' is an [[Evergreen]] shrub that grows just above the [[tree line]] in the [[Western Himalayas]], [[Kashmir]], on acid soils. It is the type species for the genus ''Rhododendron''. It may grow up to {{convert|1.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall and produces clusters of pinkish-red, bell-shaped flowers throughout the summer. The undersides of the leaves are covered in rust-brown spots, which give the species the second part of its [[Binomial nomenclature|binomial name]] (''[[:wikt:ferrugineus|ferrugineum]]'', [[Latin]] for 'rust-coloured, ferruginous'). This is in contrast to ''[[Rhododendron hirsutum]]'', which has no such brown colouring, has hairy edges to the leaves and grows over [[limestone]]. Where the two species co-occur (usually on soils of intermediate [[pH]]), the [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] ''Rhododendron × intermedium'' may occur; as its name suggests, it is intermediate in form between the two parental species.