Rhododendron archboldianum Sleumer

Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 121.

WFO ID: wfo-0000400403

IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331947-1

Verified by:

Description

Tall shrub. Twigs rounded, thick, at first sub-densely scaly, later glabrescent; internodes 6–16cm. Leaves 5–7 together in pseudowhorls, in which 3–4 leaves are normal, the rest much smaller. Blade 40–110 x 20–60mm, ovate to elliptic-ovate, often asymmetrical; apex shortly acuminate, sub-acute; margin entire, sub-revolute proximally; base sub-truncate-rounded or broadly tapering, sometimes sub-cordate, sub-densely scaly on both sides, the scales slowly disappearing above, persistent for a long time beneath. Scales flat, small, the margin irregularly deeply dentate; centre not impressed. Mid-vein slightly depressed above, thickly prominent beneath proximally, less so distally; lateral veins 8–11 per side, slightly curved, irregular, anastomosing with each other before the margin, faintly impressed or raised above, raised beneath, reticulation dense, more visible beneath only. Petiole 4–12 x 1.5–2mm, grooved above, sub-densely scaly. Bracts to 10 x 7mm, ovate to broadly obovate, laxly scaly and with hairs outside. Bracteoles to 15mm, narrowly linear, glabrous or laxly scaly. Inflorescence an 8–15-flowered open umbel. Pedicels 8–11mm, densely scaly, obliquely thickened below the calyx. Calyx small, rim-like, wavy, indistinctly 5-lobed. Corolla trumpet-shaped, pink; tube 45–50 x c.2.5 x 3.5–4.5mm, cylindrical, slightly curved, gradually expanding from the base but then a little constricted below the mouth, laxly to sub-densely scaly outside, densely hairy inside almost to the mouth; lobes 10–12 x 8–12mm, broadly spathulate to nearly circu­lar, laxly scaly outside at the base and in the middle, glabrous inside. Stamens exserted; filaments linear below, filiform above, shortly hairy nearly to the top; anthers 3.5–4 x 1mm, oblong, base obtuse. Disc glabrous below, densely hairy on the upper margin. Ovary 7–8 x c.2mm, cylindrical, gradually tapering distally, densely appressed-hairy and obscurely scaly; style as long as the corolla tube, covered with sub-patent hairs and scales nearly to the top; stigma thick, shortly obconical.

Distribution

Papua New Guinea, Mts Tafa and Suckling.

Altitude

Habitat

Usually epiphytic in ridge forests, occasionally terrestrial in clearings

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:177