Abstract:
Through field investigations and data collections on
Rhododendron species in the Tangjiahe area of Sichuan giant panda national park, it was found that the area contains 2 subgenera, 3 sections, and 10 subsections within
Rhododendron, including 16 species, 1 subspecies, and 1 variety, 18 taxa in total. The
Rhododendron species are primarily distributed in mid-mountain to subalpine areas at elevations of 2, 000–3, 000 m, with the numbers showing an initial increase followed by a decrease as the elevation rises. The
Rhododendron plants are widely distributed in the area, exhibiting high ecological and landscape application value. Some species can be served as parent materials for breeding new cultivars, such as
Rhododendron hunnewellianum,
R. calophytum,
R. oreodoxa,
R. maculiferum and
R. augustinii. In addition to preserve
Rhododendron plant resources in the area, it is necessary to carry out exploiting and breeding new cultivars.