Small trees, to 10 m tall, or epiphytic, with thick roots, to 4 m tall; old branches glabrous; young shoots dark, densely scaly. Petiole convex, ca. 20 mm, sparsely scaly; leaf blade leathery, elliptic, 12–20 × 6–10 cm; base rounded; apex rounded; abaxial surface scales dense, small, unequal, brownish red; adaxial surface scales dense when young, glabrescent; midrib raised on both surfaces; lateral veins 12–16-paired. Inflorescence terminal, 5(–11)-flowered. Pedicel pendulous, ca. 3 cm; calyx lobes 15–25 mm, oblong-elliptic; apex rounded, scales present, dense; corolla white tinged with yellow on tube and with lobes tinged pale red, (7.5–)10(–12.5) cm; tube (45–)70–80 mm, outer surface scaly at base; lobes rounded, shorter than tube; stamens 10, as long as corolla tube, filaments pubescent, anthers reddish brown, ca. 8 mm; ovary 5-locular; style curved upwards; base densely scaly; stigma large, discoid. Capsule 30–35 mm, scaly, lobes keeled. Fl. Apr–May.

Rhododendron thickets, epiphytic or terrestrial; ca. 2400 m. SE Xizang [N India, N Vietnam].