Rhododendron minus var. chapmanii
Rhododendron minus var. chapmanii, also known as Chapman's rhododendron, is an endangered variety, endemic to Florida, of the evergreen Piedmont rhododendron.
Description
Chapman's rhododendron grows to 2 metres tall and has an erect habit. New growth is red-brown, turning gray with age. The leaves are elliptic and are 3 to 6.5 cm long. Pink flowers with five petals and 10 stamens appear in the spring.
Distribution
There are three separate populations of the species within Florida, one in Clay County, the second in Gulf County and the third on the county line of Gadsden and Liberty counties.
Taxonomy
Per Gandhi and Zarucchi, Duncan and Pullen incorrectly made a full citation to Asa Gray's proposal for a new combination Rhododendron chapmanii in support of naming Rhododendron minus ''chapmanii, as Gray had cited Alphonso Wood's prior valid publication of Rhododendron punctatum var. chapmanii as his basionym. Duncan and Pullen's 1962 publication of Rhododendron minus var. chapmanii'' was held to be invalid by Gandhi and Zarucchi under the Vienna Code for plant taxonomic nomenclature, which does not allow for indirect references to a basionym to be made for publications of new combinations in 1953 or later.