Extremely variable dwarf evergreen to semi-evergreen shrubs, sometimes deciduous. The small elliptic to obovate leaves are densely covered with brown scales. The flattened bell-shaped flowers (late spring to early summer) are quite variable in color, ranging from white or yellow to pink, red or purple, often with darker spots. An unusual species for a sunny position with late season, small but attractive flowers. Extremely widespread and common in the wild, ranging from the eastern Himalaya to SW China. It occurs in a wide variety of sunny, well-drained habitats from 8,000 to 16,000 ft.
1975/024 ‘Copse Belt’ (0). Light pink flowers spotted reddish brown.
1978/078 U. Bangor Exp.:UBC BG (3-4). wc, Nepal.
1978/079 Nepal U. Bangor Exp.:UBC BG (+5). From seed collected in Nepal, an evergreen form of this variable dwarf with white flowers (May-June).
1979/050 'Reuthe's Purple' GLER (0). An award form with bright purple flowers on a plant with low habit. AM 1967.
1979/053 Berg (-5\R2\4). A large-leafed, vigorous form collected wild on Mt. Everest in Nepal. This clone said to have “purple flowers” but I have not recorded any data on this clone.
1979/054 WEB (-5\R1\4). This yellow-flowered, small-leaved clone collected wild on Mt. Everest in Nepal.
1981/009 Schick (-5\R2\4). This very dwarf, yellow-flowered, small-leafed clone collected wild at 13,800 ft. in Bhutan.
1982/167 H#303-JH (+5). Propagated from a plant found in Milke Donda, Nepal at 11,500 ft. Lavender flowers.
1982/168 (lepidotum var. minutiforme) H#372-JH (0). Propagated from a plant found in Milke Donda, Nepal at 13,000 Ft.
1984/090 King & Paton (+5). Yellow flowers.
