异名：Rhododendron floccigerum Franch. subsp. appropinquans (Tagg et Forrest) D. F. Chamb. (synonym)、Rhododendron floccigerum Franch. var. appropinquans Tagg et Forrest (synonym)、Rhododendron neriiflorum Franch. subsp. phaedropum (I. B. Balfour et Farrer) Tagg (synonym)、Rhododendron neriiflorum Franch. var. phaedropum (I. B. Balfour et Farrer) T. L. Ming (synonym)、Rhododendron phaedropum Balf. f. et Farrer (synonym)、Rhododendron tawangense Sahni et Naithani (synonym)

Rhododendron neriiflorum Franch. var. appropinquans (Tagg et Forrest) W. K. Hu. transl. nov.——R. phaedropum Balf. f. et Farrer in Not. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 13: 283. 1922.——R. floccigerum Franch. var. appropinquans Tagg et Forrest in Not. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 15: 312. 1927; Cullen et Chamb. in Not. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 37: 333. 1979.——R. neriiflorum Franch. subsp. phaedropum (Balf. f. et Farrer) Tagg in Stevenson, Spec. Rhodod. 533. 1930; Cullen et Chamb. in ibid. 37: 333. 1979; Chamb. in Not. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 39: 410. 1982.——R. floccigerum Franch. subsp. appropinquans (Tagg et Forrest) Chamb. ex Cullen et Chamb. in ibid. 37:333. 1979. ——R. tawangense Sahni et Naithani in Indian Forester 105: 685, t. 1979. ——R. neriiflorum Franch. var. phaedropum (Balf. f. et Farrer) T. L. Ming in Act. Bot. Yunn. 6: 169. 1984;云南植物志4: 432. 1986.

本变种与原变种的区别在于花梗和子房有腺体，叶长8-11厘米，叶柄有时具腺体。

产云南西部和西藏东南部。生于海拔2 100-3 600米的杂木林或针叶林下。缅甸和印度东北部也有分布。模式标本采自缅甸东北部。