Rhododendron walongense Kingdon-Ward

Shrub, 2–3 m; young shoots not setose. Leaves 10–11 × 3.8–4.5 cm, elliptic, apex slightly acute, sometimes with a short drip-tip, margin not ciliate; upper surface with midrib impressed, lower surface brownish, covered with large scales 1–3× their own diameter apart. Flowers 3–6, in a lax terminal inflorescence, scented; calyx disc-like, ciliate; corolla creamy white, with a greenish blotch, funnel-shaped, c. 60 mm, outer surface pubescent and scaly throughout; stamens 10; ovary densely scaly, tapering into the style that is scaly in the lower half. Flowering April-May. Royal Horticultural Society (1997).

Distribution  Arunachal Pradesh China SE Tibet

Habitat 1,500–2,150 m

RHS Hardiness Rating H3

Conservation status Vulnerable (VU)