Rhododendron rubiginosum Franch.

Shrubs or sometimes small trees, evergreen, 1–3(–10) m tall; young shoots stout, brown, scaly. Petiole 5–13 mm, densely scaly; leaf blade elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-ovate, 3.5–8 × 1.3–3.5 cm; base cuneate, broadly cuneate to rounded; apex acuminate, sometimes acute; abaxial surface scales dense, unequal rust-brown, glandlike or thin; adaxial surface scales dense when young, caducous. Inflorescence terminal, umbellate, 5–7-flowered. Pedicel 1–2.5 cm, densely scaly; calyx undulate or 5-lobed, small, scales absent except sometimes a few along margin or present and dense; corolla broadly funnelform-campanulate, pale purple to rose-red or pale red, rarely white tinged with pale purple, inside with purplish red or red spots, 2.5–3.5 cm, outer surface sparsely scaly; stamens 10, unequal, slightly longer than corolla; filaments glabrous or pu- bescent below; ovary 5-locular, densely scaly; style longer than stamens, glabrous or pubescent below. Capsule cylindric, up to 18 mm. Fl. Mar–Jun, fr. Jul–Aug.

Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Myanmar].

Rhododendron forests, Cunninghamia-Quercus mixed forests, deciduous broad-leaved forests, Abies-Larix-Picea forest margins or openings, thickets on slopes; (2500–)2800–3600(–4200) m.

Rhododendron rubiginosum (红棕杜鹃) is a rhododendron species native to Myanmar, and Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan in China, where it grows at altitudes of 2,800–3,600 m (9,200–11,800 ft). This evergreen shrub grows to 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) in height, with leaves that are elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-ovate, 3.5–8 by 1.3–3.5 cm in size. The flowers are pink, red, or pale purple.