Indian azalea (Rhododendron simsii)
Description
“Pet poisonous” – Toxic parts: entire plant Rhododendron simsii (杜鵑) is a rhododendron species native to East Asia, where it grows at altitudes of 500–2700 meters. It is a shrub that grows to 2 m in height, with leaves that are ovate, elliptic-ovate or obovate to oblanceolate, 1.5–5 by 0.5–3 cm in size. Flowers range from white to dark red. The species is common in Hong Kong. It is also distributed in Areas south of Yangtze in China as well as in Vietnam and Thailand. Its specific name commemorates John Sims (1749-1831) who was the first editor of "Magazine Botanique". Rhododendron is a genus characterised by shrubs and small to (rarely) large trees, the smallest species growing to 10-100 cm (3.9-39.4 in) tall, and the largest, R. protistum var. giganteum, reported to 30 m (98 ft) tall. The leaves are spirally arranged; leaf size can range from 1-2 cm (0.39-0.79 in) to over 50 cm (20 in), exceptionally 100 cm (39 in) in R. sinogrande. They may be either evergreen or deciduous. In some species, the undersides of the leaves are covered with scales (lepidote) or hairs (indumentum). Some of the best known species are noted for their many clusters of large flowers. There are alpine species with small flowers and small leaves, and tropical species such as section Vireya that often grow as epiphytes.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Ericales
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Family: Ericaceae
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Genus: Rhododendron
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