Rhododendron vernicosum Franch.

Shrubs or small trees, 1–5(–8) m tall; young shoots sparsely glandular, glabrescent. Petiole cylindric, 15–35 mm, glabrous; leaf blade leathery, oblong-ovate to oblong-elliptic, 5–12.5 × 2.3–4.8 cm; base rounded; apex obtuse or rounded; abaxial surface pale gray-green, with minute punctulate hairs; adaxial surface dark green, slightly wax-covered, glabrous; midrib prominent abaxially, grooved adaxially; lateral veins 14–16-paired. Inflorescence 6–10-flowered; rachis ca. 10 mm, sparsely glandular and puberulent. Pedicel 2–3 cm, glandular-hairy; calyx fleshy; lobes 7 or 8, ca. 1.6 mm, densely glandular-hairy, margin gland-fringed; corolla widely funnel-campanulate, somewhat fragrant, pale pink to white, 3.5–5 cm, glabrous; lobes (5–)7, suborbicular, ca. 1.8 × 2 cm; apex emarginate; stamens (11–)14, unequal, 2–3 cm, filaments glabrous; ovary conoid, ca. 5 mm, densely red-glandular; style ca. 2.6 cm, red glandular-hairy to tip. Capsule cylindric, oblique, slightly curved, 30–40 mm Fl. Apr–Jun, fr. Aug–Oct.

W Sichuan, SE Xizang, W Yunnan.

Forests; 2600–4300 m.

Rhododendron vernicosum (亮叶杜鹃) is a rhododendron species native to western Sichuan, southeastern Xizang, and western Yunnan, China, where it grows at altitudes of 2,600–4,300 m (8,500–14,100 ft). It is an evergreen shrub typically growing to 1–5 m (3.3–16.4 ft) in height, with leathery leaves that are oblong-ovate to oblong-elliptic, and 5–12.5 × 2.3–4.8 cm in size. The flowers are somewhat fragrant, and pale pink or white.