Vasilis Teodoridis:
2. Rhododendron sect. Choniastrum Franchet; Bull. Soc. Bot. France 33: 229. 1886.
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Shrubs or small trees; evergreen; branches glabrous or glandular setose. Inflorescence axillary or terminal; 1–7-flowered; corol-la funnelform to campanulate; stamens 10; style as long as or longer than stamens. Capsule oblong-cylindric or cylindric; glabrous or puberulent; rarely glandular setose; style contiguous and valved on upper part when mature. Seeds with short-caudate appendages at both ends; ornamented.
Rhododendron championiae Hooker; Bot. Mag. 77: t. 4609. 1851 [“championae”].
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Rhododendron championiae var. ovatifolium P. C. Tam.
Shrubs; 0.5–5 m tall; branches pubescent; also spreading glandular-setose. Petiole 12–17 mm; densely glandular-setose; leaf blade papery; elliptical; oblong-lanceolate or ovate; 7–17.5 x 2–5 cm; base cuneate; rarely subrounded; margin densely long setose; also with a few glandular hairs; apex acuminate; abaxial surface pubescent and setose; with more setae on midrib and lateral veins; adaxial surface sometimes bullate; sparsely short setose. Inflorescence subapical; 5–7-flowered; rachis 4–7 mm; glabrous; flower buds sticky. Pedicel ca. 2 cm; to 2.5 cm in fruit; pubescent and glandular-setose; calyx lobes narrow; to 12 mm; densely ciliate; corolla narrowly funnelform; white or reddish; 5–6(–7) cm; lobes oblong or oblong-lanceolate; 2.8–3.5 cm; stamens 10; unequal; shorter than corolla; filaments slender; pubescent below middle; ovary oblong; ca. 6 mm; densely yellowish brown setose; style longer than stamens; ex-serted; glabrous to sparsely pubescent near the base. Capsule cylindric; 6-grooved; slightly curved; up to 55 mm; densely gland-tipped setose and pubescent. Fl. Apr–May; fr. Jul–Nov.
? Open valley forests; mountain slopes; 500–1300 m. Fujian; Guangdong; Guangxi; Hunan; Jiangxi; Zhejiang.
Rhododendron championiae var. ovatifolium is not now consider-ed worthy of formal recognition.