Rododendras - Rhododendron BERGENSIANA

‘Bergensiana’ cv. Elepidote rhododendron: ‘Madame Jules Porgès’ (s) X ‘Hachmann’s Diadem’ H: H. Hachmann (1984), G: H. Hachmann (1990), N: H. Hachmann (1995), I: H. Hachmann (1997), REG: G. Stück (1999) Fls 15/dense, ball truss, broadly funnelshaped, 45 x 76-80mm, with 5 wavy-edged lobes, inside white, slightly tinged light purplish pink/very pale purple (73C/D), outside similarly coloured; the dorsal lobe with a large, conspicuous blotch of deep pink/deep red (48A/53A), centre of dorsal lobe and around base of throat moderate/dark red (180A/183A); stamens 10, filaments white, anthers light purplish pink/very pale purple (73C/D); style pale yellow-green (149D), stigma strong purplish red (63A). Calyx 20-35mm long, light green. Lvs elliptic-ovate, 115 x 50mm, flat, acute at apex, cuneate at base, dark and glossy green above, hairless. Shrub 1.3 x 1.4m in 10 years. Late May-early June. (The epithet is the name of a piece of music by Johan Halvorsen. First published in Hachmann cat., 1998- 2000 (1998), plus colour photograph)