Description

Prostrate, cushion-forming, low shrub, forming vertical patches up to 2cm in depth and 20cm in diameter, extending by prostrate, elongate, not, or sparsely, branched stoloniform shoots which root freely into the substrate. These eventually become erect and branch freely. Twigs c.1mm in diameter, covered in shortly stalked sub-stellate, brown scales at first, these falling and leaving a minutely warty surface with scale stalks up to 0.2mm high. Leaves spirally arranged along the elongate shoots, densely crowded towards the erect branch tips. Blade 3–6 x 2–3mm, elliptic; apex shortly acuminate, broadly acute to obtuse or rounded; margin entire or sub-crenulate with a broad and only faintly demarcated sub-cartilaginous edge; base tapering, laxly to sub-densely scaly at first on both sides but these scales disappearing quickly from the upper surface. Scales orange-brown, with a broad and deeply incised marginal zone. Mid-vein only visible when fresh, all veins obscure after drying. Petiole 1–2 x c.0.5mm, weakly grooved above when fresh. Flower buds brown, 5–6 x c.3mm. Bracts long acuminate, the tips standing away from the bud, glabrous outside but with scales along the margins. Bracteoles c.4mm, filiform. Flowers solitary, horizontal to half-hanging. Pedicels 2–3 x c.1mm, densely scaly. Calyx a low disc, densely white-scaly. Corolla 12 x 7mm, pale pink; tube 7 x 5 x 4mm, cylindrical but contracted just below the lobes, densely scaly outside, glabrous inside; lobes 3 x 3.5mm, without scales, semi-erect to horizontally spreading, overlapping to c.2⁄3. Stamens 6mm, curving distally so that the anthers fill the upper part of the tube; filaments white, glabrous; anthers 1–1.1mm, brownish-purple. Disc glabrous. Ovary 5 x 3mm, densely white-scaly, abruptly contracted distally; style 2–2.5mm, glabrous, reddish-brown; stigma c.1mm in diameter, dark pink. Fruit 11 x 5mm, erect, broadly fusiform and densely brown-scaly, the pedicels elongating to 5–6mm, on ripening the outer layer irregularly peeling back and then the valves splitting to c.45°. Seeds 1.8–2.2mm, without tails to 0.8mm, the longest tail to 0.7mm.

Distribution

Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Mt Trichora (Mt Wilhelmina), Lake Habbema vicinity.

Altitude

Habitat

Growing in the high open valleys dominated by tree-ferns and forming cushions on their trunks. Probably protected from frost and with optimal shading by growing usually about mid-way up the tree-fern trunks (Argent et al. 1999).

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:141