Blumea 1961. 11: 125.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400432
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332090-1
Verified by:
Shrub, c.40cm. Twigs slender, at first laxly sub-stellate, the older parts glabrescent, smooth, 1–2mm in diameter; internodes 1.5–2.5cm. Leaves 4–6 in loose pseudowhorls. Blade 20–25 x 5–9mm, narrowly elliptic; apex sub-acutely tapering or sub-acuminate; margin sub-crenulate with impressed scales at first in the crenulations or sub-entire; base tapering, initially laxly scaly on both sides, slowly glabrescent above, sub-persistently scaly beneath. Scales with the thin marginal zone sub-stellate; centre small, impressed. Mid-vein hardly impressed above or flat, thick and obtusely prominent beneath; lateral veins inconspicuous. Petiole 2–3 x 0.7–1mm. Bracts to 20 x 10mm, membranous, red, glabrous and shining outside, ovate; outer ones acuminate-apiculate, inner ones obtuse. Inflorescence of solitary or paired, hanging, flowers. Pedicels 15–20mm, slender, densely stellately scaly. Calyx c.2.5mm in diameter, obliquely disc-shaped, often covered by the basal lobed part of the corolla tube, hardly lobed, scaly outside. Corolla 30–35mm, weakly zygomorphic, red, thin; tube 20–25 x 5–6 x 8–10mm, straight, laxly sub-stellately scaly outside, otherwise glabrous; lobes c.10 x 5–8mm, half-spreading, broadly obovate-oblong. Stamens very unequal, the longest reaching the mouth, hardly exserted; filaments linear, glabrous; anthers 1.5–1.8 x 1mm, obovate-oblong, base obtuse. Disc prominent, glabrous. Ovary 4 x 1.5mm, sub-obliquely cylindrical, densely covered with sub-stellate, brown scales but without hairs, tapering distally; style slender with some scales at the base, glabrous distally; stigma rounded, shortly 5-lobed.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Star Mts, Mt Antares.
In alpine or semi-alpine shrubby vegetation. Rare.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:233