Rhododendron championiae is a shrub or small tree that has restricted distribution in Hong Kong. According to Flora of Hong Kong, the species can only be found in limited localities including Tai O, Ma On Shan, and Victoria Peak. Personally, I've seen the population growing in Tai O and the one on Ma On Shan. The species seems to be growing in shrublands on steep slopes. The species is characterized by its glandular hairs growing on leaves and buds, an adaptation probably used to save water and prevent insects from eating the tissues of the plant. In spring, white flowers with yellowish dots and occasionally having a touch of pink color emerge. The fruit of the plant is a capsule that holds the seeds before they are distributed by anemochory like other
Rhododendron spp.. The photos below show withering flowers of
R. championiae in Tai O (I was a little too late).
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| Flowers |
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| New leaves |
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| Old leaves (crowed towards the apex, in a whole like arrangement) |
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| Flowers |
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| Flowers |
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| Flowers |
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| The whole population on the slope |
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