Rhododendron subg. 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, with medium-sized to large leaves. 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 Rhododendron sect. Pentanthera
Section Ponticum
- R. subsect. Arborea
- R. subsect. Argyrophylla
- R. subsect. Auriculata
- R. subsect. Barbata
- R. subsect. Campanulata
- R. subsect. Campylocarpa
- R. subsect. Falconera
- R. subsect. Fortunea
- R. subsect. Fulgensia
- R. subsect. Fulva
- R. subsect. Glischra
- R. subsect. Grandia
- R. subsect. Griersoniana
- R. subsect. Irrorata
- R. subsect. Lanata
- R. subsect. Maculifera
- R. subsect. Neriiflora
- R. subsect. Parishia
- R. subsect. Pontica
- R. subsect. Selensia
- R. subsect. Taliensia
- R. subsect. Thomsonia
- R. subsect. Venatora
- R. subsect. Williamsiana
Section Pentanthera
- R. subsect. Pentanthera Pojarkova
- R. subsect. Sinensia
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 in some regions such as New Zealand.
