Vibronic sidebands associated with the /sup 6/P/sub 7/2/..-->../sup 8/S/sub 7/2/ transition of Gd/sup 3 +/-doped metaphosphate glasses are observed using line-narrowed fluorescence techniques. Glasses having metal cations of different mass and charge (La,Al,Mg,Ba) are examined. Vibronic spectra, which probe vibrations about the rare-earth element site, are compared with polarized Raman scattering data and the infrared dielectric constant obtained from near-normal reflectance measurements. Results indicate that in metaphosphate glasses vibronic selection rules are similar to HV (vertical height) Raman selection rules. The wavelengths and relative intensities of peaks in the high-frequency portion of the vibronic spectra change with respect to corresponding peaks in the Raman spectra when the mass and/or charge of Gd/sup 3 +/ differs significantly from that of the metal cation.