Blumea 1973. 21: 375.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400387
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332023-1
Verified by:
Shrub to 3m. Twigs 3–4mm in diameter, rounded, sub-densely scaly, longitudinally striate when dry; internodes 5–13cm. Leaves in tight pseudowhorls of 3–4, but inserted over 1–2cm. Blade 40–75 x 30–65mm, ovate to circular, rarely obovate; apex obtuse to rounded; margin cartilaginous, entire, narrowly revolute; base auriculate, the sides broadly turned down; laxly silvery scaly above, quickly becoming glabrescent; below laxly to sub-densely and more persistently scaly. Scales sub-circular to broadly sub-stellately lobed; the marginal flange broad, thin and transparent, the centres moderately small and impressed. Mid-vein raised above in the proximal 1⁄3–½, then impressed, grooved where it is raised; below raised throughout its length but decreasing distally; lateral veins 5–7 per side, wide-spreading, above slightly raised and minutely grooved, beneath very slightly raised; straight but branching and anastomosing before the margin. Petiole 2–4 x 2–4mm, sometimes grooved above distally, scaly. Bracts to 18 x 12mm, the outermost scaly outside, inner ones with scales on the margins, shortly hairy outside and minutely hairy inside. Inflorescence of 5–9 flowers in an open umbel. Flowers 60–65 x 35–40mm. Pedicels 30–35 x c.1mm, densely scaly. Calyx c.4mm in diameter, disc-shaped, densely scaly and fringed on the margin with scales. Corolla red; tube 40–62 x 5–6 x 12–27mm, sub-densely scaly outside, densely hairy with irregular or somewhat retrorse hairs inside; lobes 15–23 x 12–21mm, reflexed, overlapping to c.halfway, scaly outside except near the margins. Stamens exserted to c.12mm, clustered on the upper side of the mouth; filaments hairy in the proximal ½–2⁄3, glabrous distally; anthers c.3mm, curved. Disc densely hairy on the upper side, otherwise glabrous. Ovary c.8 x 3mm, elongate-conical, densely hairy and scaly, tapering gradually distally; style c.45 x 1mm, densely hairy and scaly for the proximal 3–5mm, then glabrous distally, purplish-red; stigma c.4mm in diameter, rounded, yellow. Fruit 28–38 x 6–7mm, fusiform, longitudinally grooved, pale brown.
Papua New Guinea, Western Highlands between Laiagam and Kandep, c.4 miles W of Wabag; Southern Highlands, Mt Ambua, Mt Hagen, Mt Kerewa, Mt Giluwe, Ibiwara (Tari Gap).
Epiphytic in mixed montane forest, secondary forest with climbing bamboo, or terrestrial at forest margins and in fire-induced grassland with Gleichenia.
R. sleumeri A.Gilli, Ann. Naturh. Mus. Wien 1980. 83: 435.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:310