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

Small trees, 6–7 m tall; branches usually stout, 3–5 mm in diam. below inflorescence. Petiole cylindric, 10–15 mm, glabrous; leaf blade leathery, obovate-elliptic to oblanceolate, 7–9 × 2–4 cm; base cuneate; margin revolute; apex acuminate; abaxial surface yellowish green, with red punctate bases of fallen glands or hairs, glabrous at maturity; adaxial surface green, glabrous; midrib prominent abaxially, grooved adaxially; lateral veins 14–20-paired, obscure. Inflorescence racemose-umbellate, 7–10-flowered; rachis 15–20 mm, glabrous. Pedicel 0.7–1 cm, puberulent or glabrous; calyx cupular; lobes 5, 1–1.5 mm, glabrous; corolla campanulate, crimson, with a dark blotch at base, 4–4.5 cm, lobes 5, suborbicular, 2–2.5 cm, emarginate, crenulate; stamens 10, unequal, 2.5–3 cm, filaments glabrous; ovary conoid-cylindric, slightly grooved, 7–8 mm, glabrous though with apex sparsely hairy; style ca. 2.5 cm, glabrous, stigma slightly swollen. Capsule not known. Fl. Mar.

SE Yunnan.

Evergreen broad-leaved forests; 1500–2300 m.