Rhododendron bryophilum Sleumer

Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 79.

WFO ID: wfo-0000400473

IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332056-1

Verified by:

Description

Shrub to 2m. Twigs 1–2mm in diameter, slender, rounded, laxly leaved, the tips brown, at first densely covered with stellate scales, older parts glabrescent and rough with scale bases; internodes 2–8cm. Leaves 3–5 together in tight pseudowhorls. Blade 40–55 x 10–22mm, narrowly elliptic, widest in the middle; apex acute to obtuse; margin slightly revolute; base broadly tapering or sub-truncate-rounded, sub-densely scaly on both sides initially. Scales minute, deeply stellately divided and sub-dendroid, falling early, and becoming glabrescent, each on top of a persistent epidermal tubercle, which gives a rough texture. Mid-vein scaly for a long time, very slightly impressed above, prominent beneath; lateral veins 4–6 per side, curved and anastomosing, faintly visible on both sides. Petiole 2–3 x c.1mm, scaly, flattened. Bracts to 8 x 6mm, ovate to obovate-spathulate, apiculate or obtuse, membranous, glabrous, minutely fringed with scales. Bracteoles to 10mm, filiform, sub-­glabrous. Inflorescence a c.3-flowered open umbel. Pedicels 10–12 x 0.4mm, very slender, densely minutely stellate-scaly, without hairs. Calyx c.2mm in diameter, sub-oblique, small, obscurely 5-lobed, stellately scaly outside. Corolla 30–40mm, tubular, distinctly zygomorphic, pale pink, thin; tube 20–28 x 4–5 x 7–10mm, cylindrical, curved, glabrous outside, laxly hairy inside; lobes 10–12 x c.7mm, elliptic to spathulate, spreading and somewhat reflexed, not or only very slightly overlapping. Stamens exserted, 6–7mm, clustered on the upper side of the flower; filaments narrowly linear, glabrous at the base, then laxly hairy, but again glabrous distally; anthers 1.8–2 x 1mm, oblong. Disc very shortly hairy at the upper margin, glabrous elsewhere. Ovary c.4 x 1.5mm, elongate-ovoid, densely and exclusively stellate-scaly, gradually tapering distally; style c.18mm, relatively thick, laxly covered with short, sub-­patent hairs almost to the top; stigma shortly club-shaped.

Distribution

Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Cycloop Mts.

Altitude

Habitat

Epiphytic in tall forest

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:77