249. Rhododendron rex H. Léveillé, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 13: 340. 1914.
大王杜鹃 da wang du juan
Small trees, usually 5–7 m tall, branchlets stout, 10–15 mm in diam. below inflorescence; young shoots grayish tomentose, glabrescent. Petiole terete, 25–30 mm, densely grayish tomentose; leaf blade leathery, obovate-elliptic to elliptic, 17–27 × 4–13 cm; base cuneate to rounded, truncate or subcordate; apex obtuse; abaxial surface with persistent, 2-layered indumentum, upper layer fawn to rufous, hairs cup-shaped, only slightly fimbriate, lower layer thin, appressed; adaxial surface green, glabrous, midrib prominent abaxially, grooved adaxially, lateral veins 20–24-paired, regular, prominent abaxially. Inflorescence 15–20(–30)-flowered; rachis 20–25 mm. Pedicel sparsely pale brown-tomentose; calyx teeth 8, 1–2 mm; corolla obliquely campanulate, creamy-white, pale yellow to pink, with a crimson basal blotch, ca. 5 cm, lobes 8, suborbicular, ca. 1.5 cm; stamens 16, 2–3.5 cm, filaments pubescent at base; ovary conoid, ca. 12 mm, pale brown tomentose; style ca. 4 cm, glabrous, stigma swollen. Capsule curved, 25–40 × 6–10 mm, densely tomentose. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Aug–Sep.
Pinus forests, Rhododendron thickets; 2300–4000 m. SW Sichuan, SE Xizang, N and W Yunnan [NE Myanmar].
