Rhododendron boninense
Rhododendron boninense (ムニンツツジ, Munin-tsutsuji) is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae that is endemic to the Bonin Islands of Tōkyō Metropolis, Japan.[1][2]
| Rhododendron boninense | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Rhododendron |
| Species: | R. boninense |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhododendron boninense | |
Taxonomy
The species was first described by Japanese botanist Takenoshin Nakai in 1920.[1] The specific epithet relates to the type locality in the Bonin (Munin) Islands.[1]
Description
Rhododendron boninense is an evergreen shrub that grows to a height of 2–3 metres (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in).[3][4] Its white flowers bloom in and around April.[4][5]
Conservation status
Rhododendron boninense is classed as Critically Endangered on the Ministry of the Environment Red List and has been designated a National Endangered Species under the 1992 Act on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.[6][7][8] According to the Red Data Book Tokyo, it is threatened by competition with exotic plants and browsing by introduced goats.[5]
References
- Nakai, T. (1920). 小笠原ノつつじ [A rhododendron from Ogasawara]. The Botanical Magazine (in Japanese). 34 (408): 324. ISSN 0006-808X.
- Katō, M. [in Japanese]; Ebihara, A. [in Japanese] (March 2011). 日本の固有植物 [Endemic Plants of Japan] (in Japanese). Tokai University Press. pp. 106, 247, 340. ISBN 978-4-486-01897-1.
- Toyoda, Takeshi 豊田武司 (2003). 小笠原植物図譜 [Flora of Bonin Islands] (in Japanese). Aboc. pp. 174, 176. ISBN 4-900358-56-8.
- Toyoda, Takeshi 豊田武司 (2014). 小笠原諸島固有植物ガイド [The Endemic Plants of the Bonin Islands] (in Japanese). Woods Press. pp. 75, 250–252. ISBN 978-4-907029-03-6.
- ムニンツツジ，オガサワラツツジ [Rhododendron boninense] (in Japanese). Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- 維管束植物 [Vascular Plants] (in Japanese). Ministry of the Environment. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- 国内希少野生動植物種一覧 [List of National Endangered Species] (in Japanese). Ministry of the Environment. 24 January 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- Ministry of the Environment, ed. (2015). レッドデータブック2014 —日本の絶滅のおそれのある野生生物— 8 植物I（維管束植物） [Red Data Book 2014 — Threatened Wildlife of Japan — Volume 8, Vascular Plants] (in Japanese). Gyōsei Corporation. p. 99. ISBN 978-4-324-09902-5.