Rhododendron oreodoxa Franch.

Shrubs or small trees, 1–8(–12) m tall; shoots ca. 4 mm in diam. below inflorescence; young shoots gray-tomentose, glabrescent. Petiole 10–25 mm, glandular when young; leaf blade leathery, elliptic or obovate-elliptic, 4.5–10 × 2–3.5 cm; base rounded; apex obtuse or rounded, apiculate; both surfaces glabrous; abaxial surface pale green; adaxial surface dark green; midrib grooved adaxially; lateral veins 13–15-paired. Inflorescence 6–8(–12)-flowered; rachis ca. 5 mm, glandular and tomentose. Pedicel purple, 0.5–1.5 cm, sparsely glandular-hairy or sparsely wispy brown-tomentose; calyx lobes 6 or 7, 1–3 mm, glandular outside; corolla campanulate, pale pink, 3.5–4.5 cm, lobes 5–8, orbicular, ca. 1 cm; stamens 12–14, filaments glabrous or pubescent; ovary conoid, 5–8 mm, glabrous or glandular-hairy; style 2.8–3.4 cm, glabrous or densely glandular-hairy, stigma small. Capsule cylindric, slightly curved, 18–32 mm. Fl. Apr–Jun, fr. Aug–Oct.

S Gansu, W Hubei, S Shaanxi, Sichuan, E Xizang.

Forests, thickets; 1800–3900 m.