Rhododendron cavaleriei H. Lév.

Shrubs or small trees, 2–3(–8) m tall; branchlets thin. Petiole 9–15 mm, glabrous; leaf blade lanceolate or oblanceolate, 7–10(–15) × 2.5–3 cm; base cuneate or narrowly cuneate; apex acuminate and mucronate; midrib prominent adaxially. Inflorescence terminal, umbellate, 10–15(–17)-flowered. Pedicel 2.5–4 cm, densely gray-pubescent; calyx lobes obscure, rarely linear, pubescent or glabrous; corolla narrowly funnelform, white to rose, ca. 4 cm, tube narrowly cylindric, ca. 10 mm; lobes oblong-lanceolate, 1.9–2.5 cm; stamens 10, slightly shorter than, or as long as the corolla, filaments pubescent below middle; ovary long-ovate, ca. 5 mm, densely white-pubescent; style up to 4.5 cm, longer than stamens, exserted, glabrous. Capsule cylindric, apex acuminate, 30–40(–55) × 3–5 mm, densely brown-pubescent. Fl. Apr–May, fr. Sep–Nov.

Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Yunnan.

Dense or open forests; 1000–2000 m.