Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don subsp. hypenanthum (I. B. Balfour) Cullen; R. anthopogon var. hypenanthum (I. B. Balfour) H. Hara.

Small shrubs, 0.3–0.8(–0.95) m tall; branchlets short, scaly, setose; bud scales persistent. Petiole 3–7 mm, scaly; leaf blade aromatic, elliptic, oblong-elliptic or obovate-elliptic, (1.2–)2.5–3.5(–4.2) × (0.6–)1–1.6(–2) cm; base rounded, or broadly cuneate; apex obtuse or rounded, mucronate; abaxial surface scales overlapping, arranged in 2–3 tiers, dark reddish brown; adaxial surface dark green, shiny, glabrous. Inflorescence 5–7(–10)-flowered. Pedicel 0.2–0.4 cm, scaly; calyx lobes 2–4 mm, elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, persisting to enclose mature capsule, scaly, margin densely ciliate; corolla narrowly tubular-funnelform, pale yellow to yellow-green, tube nearly as long as lobes, outer surface not scaly; inner surface densely pilose; lobes spreading, 1.2–1.9 cm; stamens 5 or 6(–8), included in corolla tube, filaments glabrous; ovary ca. 1 mm, scaly; style short, thick, straight, nearly as long as ovary, glabrous. Capsule ovoid, 2–5 mm, scaly. Fl. May–Jul, fr. Aug–Sep.

This taxon is treated as a subspecies (or variety) of Rhododendron anthopogon by some authors.

Rhododendron thickets, scrub, open hillsides; 3500–4500(–5500) m. S Xizang [Bhutan, N India, Nepal, Sikkim].