Broadly upright but compact-growing evergreen shrubs. The leaves have a distinctive spongy to somewhat woolly yellowish to greenish brown indumentum on the undersides. The flowers (mid-spring) are white to rose or rose-purple, often with purple or brownish spots. A free-flowering and relatively easily grown member of this subsection with outstanding foliage. Native to China (SE Tibet, W Yunnan & SW Sichuan) where it occurs on open slopes above tree line from 10,000 to 14,000 ft.