Rhododendron hunanense Chun ex P. C. Tam

Shrubs, 1–2 m tall; young shoots densely brown-glandular-setose, also sparsely spreading-pubescent. Summer and winter leaves different. Petiole ca. 3 mm, densely setose-strigose; leaf blade papery, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, rarely obovate, 2.5–4.2(–7) × 1.5–2.5 cm; base cuneate or subrounded; margin entire and slightly revolute, shortly ciliate; apex acuminate and mucronate; abaxial surface densely coarsely setose-strigose; adaxial surface sparsely coarsely silky-strigose, later subglabrous with dense wartlike protuberances. Inflorescence 5–10-flowered. Pedicel 0.5–0.7 cm, densely coarsely brown-setose-strigose; calyx lobes oblong, small, densely strigose; corolla rotate-campanulate, white, purplish or reddish, upper lobes with red flecks, ca. 1.1 cm; tube cylindric, ca. 6 × 2.5 mm, inner surface puberulent; lobes spreading, broadly elliptic or subrounded, ca. 0.5 cm; stamens 5, unequal, 1.2–1.6 cm, exserted, filaments flat, puberulent at base; ovary ovoid, ca. 3 mm, densely coarsely brown-setose-strigose; style ca. 1.2 cm, shorter than or as long as the stamens, sparsely coarsely setose-strigose. Capsule ovoid, 5–6 × ca. 4 mm, densely setose-strigose. Fl. May, fr. Jul–Nov.

S Hunan, E Jiangxi.

Valley thickets; 500–1700 m.