Rhododendron monanthum I. B. Balf. & W. W. Smith

The name Rhododendron sulfureum Franchet has been misapplied to this species.

Shrubs, sometimes epiphytic, 0.3–1 m tall; old branches gray-white, bark peeling, glabrous, branches short and dense; young shoots densely scaly. Petiole 4–8 mm, densely scaly; leaf blade leathery, elliptic, 2–5 × 1–2.5 cm; base cuneate to broadly cuneate; apex blunt, rounded or acute, apiculate; abaxial surface grayish white, scales dense, ca. their own diameter apart, unequal, brown; adaxial surface sparsely or densely scaly. Inflorescence terminal, 1-flowered. Pedicel ca. 0.5 cm, densely scaly; calyx undulate, 1–2 mm, densely scaly; corolla tubular-campanulate, creamy or lemon yellow, 1.6–2.4 cm, outer surface scaly, without hairs; stamens 10, unequal, ca. 1.5 cm, some slightly longer than corolla, others shorter; filaments densely villous at base; ovary 5-locular, densely scaly; style longer than corolla, glabrous. Capsule cylindric, 8–14 mm. Fl. Jul–Sep, fr. Jul–Oct.

SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [SE Myanmar].

Shrubby meadows in high mountains, sometimes epiphytic on trees; 2000–3000(–3600) m.