Rhododendron wightii Hook. fil.

Shrubs or small trees, 2–4 m tall; older branches glabrous; young shoots sparsely gray-floccose. Petiole 15–25 mm, sparsely floccose; leaf blade leathery, oblong-elliptic to oblong-ovate, 12–18 × 5–7 cm; base broadly cuneate or subrounded; apex obtuse or short acuminate and apiculate; abaxial surface cinnamon to brownish or sometimes grayish, indumentum dense, 1-layered, compacted, hairs branched; adaxial surface bright green, glabrous. Inflorescence surrounded at base by ± persistent, stiff, viscid bud scales, laxly umbellate, 10–20-flowered, rachis ca. 10 mm. Pedicel 1.5–3 cm, gray- to yellow-floccose, with a few glandular hairs; calyx lobes 5, 0.5–1 mm, glabrous; corolla campanulate, pale yellow or lemon-yellow, blotched crimson at base within and spotted crimson on one side on upper lobes, 3.5–4.5 cm, lobes 5, ca. 1.5 cm, grooved; stamens 10, unequal, filaments pubescent at base; ovary 5–6 mm, densely brown-tomentose; style ca. 2.7 cm, glabrous, stigma discoid. Capsule oblong-cylindric, slightly curved, 20–30 × 4–5 mm with a few vestiges of hairs. Fl. Jun, fr. Sep.

E. Himalaya (E. Nepal to Bhutan), N. Assam.

S Xizang [Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim].

3300-4100 m

Thickets, mountain slopes; 3900–4300 m.