- Rhododendron luteum
Taxobox
name = "Rhododendron luteum"
image_width = 240px
image_caption =
regnum =Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis =Magnoliopsida
ordo =Ericales
familia =Ericaceae
genus = "Rhododendron "
subgenus = "Pentanthera"
sectio = "Pentanthera"
species = "R. luteum"
binomial = "Rhododendron luteum"
binomial_authority = Sweet"Rhododendron luteum" (Yellow Azalea or Honeysuckle Azalea) is a species of "
Rhododendron " native to southeasternEurope and southwestAsia . In Europe, it occurs from southernPoland andAustria south through theBalkans and east to southernRussia , and in Asia, east to theCaucasus .It is a
shrub growing to 3 m tall, rarely 4 m. The leaves aredeciduous , 5-10 cm long and 2-4 cm broad. Theflower s are 3-4 cm diameter, bright yellow, and strongly perfumed, produced in trusses of 5-25 together. Thefruit is a dry capsule 15-25 mm long, containing numerous smallseed s.Despite the sweet perfume of the flowers, the
nectar istoxic , containinggrayanotoxin ; records of poisoning of people eating the honey date back to the 4th century BC inClassical Greece .Cultivation and uses
It is widely cultivated in western Europe, used both as an
ornamental plant in its own right, and as arootstock onto which otherazalea cultivar s are grafted. It is locally naturalised in western and northern Europe. In Britain it has colonised many wetheath s andbog s, but unlike its relative "Rhododendron ponticum " it does not usually form dominant stands and so is of lower nature conservation concern.References
* [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Rhododendron+&SPECIES_XREF=luteum+&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Flora Europaea: "Rhododendron luteum"]
* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?31428 Germplasm Resources Information Network: "Rhododendron luteum"]
* [http://www.habitas.org.uk/gardenflora/rhodoluteum.htm UK garden flora: "Rhododendron luteum"]
* [http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Rhododendron+luteum Plants for a Future: "Rhododendron luteum"]
* [http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman2/rhodytox.html Rhododendron Poisoning: "Rhododendron luteum"]
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