Blumea 1984. 30(1): 45.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400428
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:905103-1
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Small, straggling, much-branched shrub to 50cm. Twigs 1–2mm in diameter, slender, rounded, tips densely scaly with brown, stellate scales, the older parts glabrescent, smooth; internodes 1–8cm. Leaves 4–7 together in tight pseudowhorls, often noticeably different in size in the same pseudowhorl. Blade 10–70 x 1–6mm, linear or occasionally very narrowly ovate or narrowly elliptic; apex sub-obtuse; margin entire or slightly revolute; base very broadly tapering or rounded, very densely red-brown scaly on both sides initially. Scales deeply stellately divided, sub-sessile or shortly dendroid, each on top of a minute epidermal tubercle, becoming glabrous and smooth above, persistently red-brown scaly beneath. Mid-vein faintly impressed above, as thick as the petiole and prominently raised beneath; lateral veins obscure. Petioles 2–5 x 1–1.5mm, weakly grooved distally, densely brown-scaly. Flower buds to 12 x 7mm, densely brown-scaly when young, becoming green just before opening, narrowly elliptic, sharply acute at the apex. Outer bracts subulate, inner ones ovate-subulate to ovate-acuminate, densely stellate-scaly in a patch on the outer upper part, glabrous otherwise, margin fringed with scales. Bracteoles to 8mm, linear to very narrowly obovate, margin laxly fringed with scales. Inflorescence of solitary flowers or up to 3 together. Flowers hanging vertically downwards. Pedicels 6–12mm, slender, densely stellately scaly. Calyx c.2.5mm in diameter, small, disc-like, densely stellate-scaly externally. Corolla 30–35mm, white to cream, sometimes very pale pink, without scent, tubular below, slightly expanded at the mouth, a little curved, zygomorphic; tube 20–25 x 4–6 x 6–10mm, densely stellately scaly and without hairs outside, glabrous inside; lobes 7–9 x 6–9mm, broadly obovate to sub-circular, spreading horizontally and overlapping to c.¼, scaly at the base outside. Stamens clustered on the upper side of the flower, unequal, exserted to c.10mm; filaments white, linear, glabrous or sparsely hairy in the proximal ½; anthers c.2 x 1mm, brown. Disc glabrous below, densely stellate-scaly on the upper margin. Ovary sub-ovoid, gradually tapering to the style, very densely stellate-scaly and conspicuously 5-ribbed, c.7 x 3.5mm; style greenish-white, on the upper side of the tube, slender, scaly throughout the proximal 1⁄3, glabrous distally or with sparse white hairs almost to the top, equalling the corolla in length when receptive; stigma white or green, club-shaped to globose, obscurely 5-lobed. Fruit fusiform, the valves ultimately curling right back, the placentae breaking away at the base and irregularly splaying apart.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Koruppun Valley (139°38’E 4°28’S). Papua New Guinea, West Sepik Province, Hindenburg Range, Mt Amdutakin; Victor Emanuel Range, Mt Womtakin. Enga Province, Laiagam–Porgera Divide, Mt Maip. Western Highlands District, Mt Sigal Mugal; Waghi–Sepik Divide, Mt Manduil.
Open sub-montane shrubberies, cliffs and on fallen logs.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:78