Rhododendron oreodoxa Franch.

Shrubs or small trees, 1–8(–12) m tall; shoots ca. 4 mm in diam. below inflorescence; young shoots gray-tomentose, glabrescent. Petiole 10–25 mm, glandular when young; leaf blade leathery, elliptic or obovate-elliptic, 4.5–10 × 2–3.5 cm; base rounded; apex obtuse or rounded, apiculate; both surfaces glabrous; abaxial surface pale green; adaxial surface dark green; midrib grooved adaxially; lateral veins 13–15-paired. Inflorescence 6–8(–12)-flowered; rachis ca. 5 mm, glandular and tomentose. Pedicel purple, 0.5–1.5 cm, sparsely glandular-hairy or sparsely wispy brown-tomentose; calyx lobes 6 or 7, 1–3 mm, glandular outside; corolla campanulate, pale pink, 3.5–4.5 cm, lobes 5–8, orbicular, ca. 1 cm; stamens 12–14, filaments glabrous or pubescent; ovary conoid, 5–8 mm, glabrous or glandular-hairy; style 2.8–3.4 cm, glabrous or densely glandular-hairy, stigma small. Capsule cylindric, slightly curved, 18–32 mm. Fl. Apr–Jun, fr. Aug–Oct.

S Gansu, W Hubei, S Shaanxi, Sichuan, E Xizang.

Forests, thickets; 1800–3900 m.

Rhododendron oreodoxa is a species of flowering plant in the genus Rhododendron native to central China. Its variety Rhododendron oreodoxa var. fargesii, called the Père Farges rhododendron, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.