Description

Small shrub. Twigs reddish, densely covered with rounded scales on stalks later rough with the persistent scale stalks and when dry, the surface minutely rugose. Leaves in loose to moderately compact pseudowhorls of 4–8 together. Blade 16–22 x 7–10mm, broadly spathulate to elliptic; apex rounded to slightly emarginate with a shortly protruding, mucronate gland; margin recurved especially proximally; base tapering or narrowly tapering, somewhat decurrent; upper surface sparsely scaly, the scales not impressed and the surface becoming glabrescent; below moderately to sparsely and persistently scaly. Scales round and impressed with broad swollen centres and narrow flanges. Mid-vein impressed above and raised below throughout its length; lateral veins 1–2 per side, narrowly impressed above, and weakly raised below, in smaller leaves totally obscure. Petiole 1.5–2 x c.1mm, scaly. Outer bracts subulate, scaly outside, fringed with hairs and with a few hairs inside near the apex, inner bracts ovate scaly outside, fringed with short hairs, glabrous inside. Bracteoles sub-linear, becoming broader distally, fringed with hairs, the truncate apices especially fringed with long white hairs. Inflorescence 3-flowered. Pedicels 10–20 x c.1mm, densely to sparsely scaly. Calyx 2.5–3 x 1.5–2mm, lobes broadly elliptic, scaly outside and with scales on the margin whose stalks give the lobes an irregular edge. Corolla c.7 x 5mm, pale pink; tube c.5 x 4 x 5mm, densely scaly outside, glabrous inside; lobes c.3 x 2.5mm, with a few scales outside in the basal ½. Stamens exserted, with long hairs in the middle part of the filaments; anthers 1.5mm, orange in colour. Ovary c.3 x 1.75mm, densely scaly but without simple hairs; style c.3mm, glabrous. Fruit c.25mm. Seeds small with tails.

Distribution

Myanmar, (Upper), Base Camp, Seinghku Wang, 28°5’N 97°30’E.

Altitude

Habitat

Epiphytic on alders and other trees in open pastures. On boulders in the valley of the Di Chu (Kingdon-Ward 7163).

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:30