Rhododendron papillatum I. B. Balf. & Cooper

Shrubs or small trees, 2–5 m tall; young shoots glabrescent. Petiole cylindric, 10–25 mm, glabrous; leaf blade subleathery, oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate, broadest above middle of blade, 8–13 × 2–4 cm; base rounded to broadly cuneate; margin revolute; apex acute or obtuse; abaxial surface pale, papillate, indumentum very thin, veil-like, detersile; adaxial surface green, glabrous; midrib prominent abaxially, deeply impressed adaxially; lateral veins 14–17-paired. Inflorescence racemose-umbellate, 5–9-flowered; rachis 20–35 mm, whitish tomentose. Pedicel 1.5–2.5 cm, densely glandular and dendroid-tomentose; calyx fleshy; lobes 5, 2–3 mm, rounded or triangular, margin glandular; corolla campanulate, pale cream to pink, with purple flecks, blotched at base, 4.5–5 cm, glabrous inside; lobes 5, rounded, ca. 2 × 2.5 cm, emarginate; stamens 10, 2–4 cm, unequal, filaments pubescent at base; ovary conoid-cylindric, 5–6 mm, dendroid-tomentose and glandular-hairy; style 3.5–4 cm, glabrous except for a few glands; stigma small, lobulate. Capsule not known. Fl. Apr.

SE Xizang [Bhutan, NE India].

Abies forests, Rhododendron thickets; 2400–3000 m.