Rhododendron hodgsonii Hook. fil.

Shrubs or small trees, 3–7 m tall; branchlets stout, 10–15 mm in diam. below inflorescence, grayish tomentose when young, glabrescent. Petiole terete, 40–50 mm, tomentose when young, glabrescent; leaf blade leathery, oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, 16–30 × 5–12 cm; base broadly cuneate to rounded; apex obtuse or rounded, sometimes emarginate; abaxial surface with pale brown, 2-layered, indumentum, upper layer of broadly cup-shaped slightly fimbriate hairs, lower layer thin, compacted; adaxial surface rugose, glabrous; midrib raised abaxially, grooved adaxially; lateral nerves 14–16 on each side, raised abaxially. Inflorescence 15–20-flowered; rachis 20–50 mm, puberulent. Pedicel slender, 2–4 cm, tomentose; calyx teeth 7, minute; corolla tubular-campanulate, magenta to purple, with darker basal blotch, 3.5–4 cm, lobes 7 or 8, suborbicular, ca. 1 × 1.3–1.5 cm, emarginate; stamens 15–18, 2.5–3.5 cm, filaments glabrous; ovary conoid, ca. 10 mm, tomentose; style 2–2.5 cm, glabrous. Capsule curved, 30–40 × ca. 7 mm, tomentose. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Aug–Sep.

E. Himalaya (E. Nepal to Bhutan), N. Assam, S. Tibet.

S Xizang [Bhutan, N India, Nepal, Sikkim].

3000-3800 m

Abies forests, thickets; 3500–4000 m.