Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 172.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400412
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331977-1
Verified by:
Erect shrub to 3m. Twigs c.2.4mm in diameter, densely covered with sub-stellate, shortly stalked brownish scales and very short papillose hairs at the upper internodes, older parts glabrescent and minutely warty; internodes 3.5–9cm often with prominent sub-spherical lateral buds in the upper leaf axils. Leaves spirally arranged in the upper 2⁄3 of the internodes. Blade 17–38 x 12–25mm, broadly elliptic or ovate-elliptic, sometimes sub-obovate-elliptic; apex broadly tapering, sub-acuminate or obtuse to rounded, the thick apical gland prominent; margin indistinctly cartilaginous and distinctly crenulate, flat; base rounded or slightly cordate, fully mature leaves with the remains of the scales persisting, a little rough, finally glabrescent above, sub-densely scaly beneath. Scales small, membranous, marginal zone irregularly crenate or denticulate, quickly disappearing to leave persistent large, blackish-red, impressed, circular centres. Mid-vein reddish-brown and more densely and persistently scaly than the rest of the upper surface, slightly impressed above, robust and obtusely prominent beneath; lateral veins 3–5 per side, spreading, faintly impressed above, slightly raised beneath, often inconspicuous above or rarely so on both sides. Petiole 4–5 x 1–1.5mm, flattened, densely scaly. Bracts 10–15 x 8–12mm, outer bracts ovate, bluntly pointed, the inner ones obovate, glabrous, but scaly on the margins. Inflorescence an open umbel of 2–3 flowers, half-hanging to hanging. Pedicels 10–15 x c.1mm, densely covered with dark, reddish, stellate, shortly stalked scales, but without hairs. Calyx 3–4mm in diameter, a low disc, shortly obtusely 5-lobed, densely scaly outside. Corolla 35–45 x 25–30mm, bright red when fresh, becoming dark purple in the drying process, without scent; tube 25–35 x 6–8 x 10–15mm, straight or distinctly curved, with 5 small pouches at the base, densely covered with thick sub-stellate scales outside, glabrous inside; lobes 10–15 x 10–13mm, spreading, broadly obovate or sub-circular, slightly retuse, scaly outside except towards the margins. Stamens exserted to 10–15mm, clustered on the upper side of the flower; filaments linear, 1.5mm wide at the base, glabrous; anthers 3.5–4 x c.1.5mm, broadly ellipsoid, each cell bearing a short basal apiculus. Disc prominent, glabrous. Ovary 5–6 x c.3mm, ovoid-conical, gradually tapering distally, densely sub-stellately scaly but without simple hairs; style nearly equalling the stamens in length, sub-densely to sparsely scaly in the proximal 1⁄3, glabrous distally; stigma rounded. Fruit 20–25 x 6mm, fusiform-cylindrical, shortly tapering at the base, more gradually so towards the apex, a little oblique, remaining densely scaly. Seeds 20–25mm, without tails c.10mm, the longest tail to 8mm, often with a broad tail at one end and a much more slender finely pointed one at the other.
Papua New Guinea, Eastern Highlands, Mt Wilhelm; Western Highlands, Mt Kinkain.
Common on the edge of sub-alpine forest or alpine shrubbery
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:227