Rhododendron sanguineum Franch.

Dwarf shrubs, 0.3–1.5 m tall; bark gray-brown, usually falling off in flakes; shoots 3–3.8 mm in diam. below inflorescence; young shoots green, with a thin eglandular indumentum; bud scales sometimes persistent. Petiole 5–8 mm, tomentose when young; leaf blade leathery, obovate, widely elliptic to narrowly oblong, 3.8–8 × 1.8–3 cm; base cuneate, decurrent along petioles; apex obtuse or rounded, apiculate; abaxial surface indumentum continuous, silvery to grayish, hairs rosulate; adaxial surface green, glabrous; midrib grooved adaxially; lateral veins 19–20-paired, impressed adaxially. Inflorescence umbellate, (3–)5–7-flowered; rachis ca. 5 mm. Pedicel 1.2–3 cm, densely tomentose; calyx pink, cupular; lobes 5, 2–4 mm, rounded, glandular-ciliate; corolla tubular-campanulate, fleshy, yellow to pink or crimson to blackish crimson, 3–4 cm, with 5 basal nectar pouches, glabrous; lobes 5, suborbicular, emarginate; stamens 10, filaments red, glabrous; ovary ovoid, ca. 5 × 4 mm, densely tomentose, hairs dendroid, eglandular or partly glandular; style ca. 2 cm, glabrous; stigma capitate. Capsule cylindric, 12–15 × 5–7 mm, rough. Fl. May–Jul, fr. Sep–Oct.

SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [NE Myanmar].

Rhododendron thickets, alpine meadows, rocky slopes; 2800–4300(–4500) m.

Rhododendron sanguineum (血红杜鹃) is a rhododendron species native to southeast Xizang and northwest Yunnan, China, where it grows at altitudes of 2,800–4,300 m (9,200–14,100 ft). It is a dwarf shrub that typically grows to 30–150 cm (12–59 in) in height, with leathery leaves that are obovate, widely elliptic to narrowly oblong in shape, and 3.8–8 × 1.8–3 cm in size. Flowers are red.