Rhododendron principis Bureau & Franch.

Small trees, 1–2.5 m tall; young shoots initially white to fawn tomentose. Petiole 10–15 mm, densely fulvous-tomentose; leaf blade leathery, oblong-elliptic to oblong-obovate, 5–7.5 × 2–3 cm; base obtuse or rounded; apex obtuse or acute and apiculate; abaxial surface indumentum 2-layered, upper layer thick, cinnamon, felted tomentose, pellicle absent, hairs branched, lower layer thin, appressed; adaxial surface slightly rugulose, glabrous. Inflorescence racemose-umbellate, 8–12-flowered; rachis ca. 5 mm. Pedicel 1–1.5 cm, sparsely puberulent; calyx teeth 5, 10–15 mm, glabrous, margin ciliate; corolla funnel-campanulate, white to pink, with purple spots inside, 2.5–3 cm, lobes 5; stamens 10, unequal, 1.2–2.2 cm, filaments pubescent at base; ovary ca. 6 mm, glabrous or sometimes with a few white hairs; style ca. 1.8 cm, glabrous; stigma capitate. Capsule cylindric, straight, 5-valved, 15–20 × 3–4 mm. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Aug.

S Xizang.

Coniferous forests, Rhododendron thickets; 3800–4500 m.

Rhododendron principis is an evergreen shrub growing 2–6 m (6.6–19.7 ft) tall, with leathery leaves and pink flowers. This species grows in open forest at 2,900–3,950 m (9,510–12,960 ft) altitude in Xizang, China.