Rhododendron keleticum I. B. Balf. & Forrest

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
mostly hypophyllous uredium of Chrysomyxa ledi var. rhododendri parasitises live leaf of Rhododendron keleticum

Creeping small shrubs, 0.05–0.3 m tall; young shoots with dense stipitate or sessile scales, lacking strap-shaped setae. Petiole 1–3 mm, densely scaly, glabrous; leaf blade leathery, elliptic-lanceolate, elliptic, or ovate, 0.6–2 × 0.3–1 cm; apex obtuse or rounded, apiculate; abaxial surface brown, scales dense, overlapping, arranged in 3–4 tiers, denticulate; adaxial surface scales usually absent, rarely present. Inflorescence terminal, 1(or 2)-flowered. Pedicel 1.5–3.2 cm, scaly, scales sometimes stipitate, glabrous or rarely with strap-shaped setae; calyx pale purplish red or green tinged with red, 5-lobed to the base; lobes 5–7 mm, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, persistent in fruit, abaxially ± scaly, sometimes also pubescent; corolla broadly campanulate, fresh purple or pale purplish red, inside with dark purple spots, 1.5–2 cm, outer surface densely scaly or pubescent; stamens 10, slightly unequal, often half as long as corolla; filaments villous at base; ovary 5-locular, densely scaly; style red, longer than stamens, glabrous. Capsule ovoid, 4–7 mm. Fl. Jul–Sep, fr. Aug–Oct.

SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [Myanmar].

Bamboo forests and meadows in high mountains, thickets, slopes, rock faces; 3000–3900 m.

R. keleticum in flower in north Wales Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rhododendron keleticum.

Rhododendron keleticum (独龙杜鹃) is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to southeast Xizang and northwest Yunnan, China, as well as Myanmar. It grows at altitudes of 3,000–3,900 m (9,800–12,800 ft). It is a dwarf evergreen shrub growing to 5–30 cm (2.0–11.8 in) in height, forming either a mound or a mat of vegetation. It has leathery leaves, elliptic-lanceolate, elliptic, or ovate in shape, 0.6–2 by 0.3–1 cm in size. The flowers are pale purplish red or green tinged with red.

This hardy shrub is possibly the most suitable for a rock garden.

Rhododendron keleticum adalah spesies tumbuhan yang tergolong ke dalam famili Ericaceae. Spesies ini juga merupakan bagian dari ordo Ericales. Spesies Rhododendron keleticum sendiri merupakan bagian dari genus Rhododendron.

Rhododendron keleticum là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Thạch nam. Loài này được Balf. f. & Forrest miêu tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1920.

独龙杜鹃（学名：Rhododendron keleticum）为杜鹃花科杜鹃属下的一个种。