274. Rhododendron maculiferum Franchet, J. Bot. (Morot). 9: 393. 1895.
麻花杜鹃 ma hua du juan
Shrubs, evergreen, 1.5–5 m tall; bark gray-black, usually falling off in flakes; young shoots brown, pale white tomentose. Petiole 13–22 mm, white-tomentose when young; leaf blade leathery, oblong-elliptic, elliptic, obovate, ovate-lanceolate or ovate-elliptic, 4–11 × 2.5–4.2 cm; base rounded, rarely slightly cordate; margin ciliate; apex obtuse or rounded, apiculate; abaxial surface glabrous at maturity, midrib densely tomentose near base; adaxial surface green, glabrous; midrib raised abaxially, grooved adaxially; lateral veins 12–17-paired. Inflorescence 7–10-flowered; rachis 12–25 mm, densely tomentose. Pedicel 1.4–2.5 cm, tomentose or glabrous; calyx teeth 5, 2–3 mm, tomentose or glabrous; corolla open-campanulate, white to pale pink, with purple blotch and a few flecks, 3.7–4 cm, lobes 5, ca. 1 × 1.2–1.3 cm; stamens 10, unequal, 1.6–2.7 cm, filaments pubescent at base; ovary conoid, ca. 4.2 mm, pale brown-tomentose or glabrous; style ca. 2.6 cm, glabrous. Capsule cylindric, curved, 15–20 × 4–5 mm, rufous-tomentose or glabrous. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Sep–Oct.
Forests, forest margins; 700–3400 m. Anhui, Chongqing, S Gansu, Guangxi, E Guizhou, W Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, SW Shaanxi, N Sichuan, Zhejiang.
