Rhododendron vaseyi

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Ordo: Ericales

Familia: Ericaceae
Subfamilia: Ericoideae
Tribus: Rhodoreae
Genus: Rhododendron
Subgenus: R. subg. Azaleastrum
Sectio: R. sect. Sciadorhodion
Species: Rhododendron vaseyi
Name

Rhododendron vaseyi A.Gray (1880)
Synonyms

Azalea vaseyi (A.Gray) Rehder
Biltia vaseyi (A.Gray) Small

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Northern America
USA (Massachusetts, North Carolina)

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Gray, A. 1880. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Boston, MA 15: 48.

Links

Hassler, M. 2020. Rhododendron vaseyi. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2020. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2020 May 18. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Rhododendron vaseyi in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2020 May 18. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Rhododendron vaseyi. Published online. Accessed: May 18 2020.
Tropicos.org 2020. Rhododendron vaseyi. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 18 May 2020.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Rhododendron vaseyi in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 2020 May 18.

Vernacular names
English: Pinkshell azalea

Rhododendron vaseyi is a species of flowering plant in the heath family known by the common name pinkshell azalea.[2] It is endemic to the Appalachian highlands of North Carolina in widely scattered locations. While there is a main center of distribution west of Asheville, there is also a large population on Grandfather Mountain, in the northwestern corner of the state.[3]

This deciduous shrub may grow up to 5 meters (almost 17 feet) in height. The large flowers are pink and begin to bloom in April. This species was first collected in 1878 by G. R. Vasey, son of botanist George Vasey and named in honor of both father and son.[4][5][6]

In the wild, this species grows in acidic moist and wet substrates near bogs and streams. It may occur alongside other types of Rhododendron, such as Rhododendron maximum. The understory is made up of many ericaceous species such as Vaccinium spp. and Leucothoe editorum.[3] The plant can often be found in areas of the forest that have been recently cleared by logging operations.[4]

Threats to this plant in the wild include destruction of habitat as land is converted to residential use, and poaching.[4]
References

Tropicos, Rhododendron vaseyi A. Gray
USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Rhododendron vaseyi". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
Rhododendron vaseyi. The Nature Conservancy.
Rhododendron vaseyi. Archived 2011-10-26 at the Wayback Machine Center for Plant Conservation.
Gray, Asa (1880) Botanical Contributions, in Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.15(1): 48–49.
Flora of North America, Rhododendron vaseyi A. Gray, 1879. Pink-shell azalea