Description

Shrub to 5m. Twigs c.4mm in diameter, rounded, tips densely covered with thin brown scales; internodes 2–3cm. Leaves 3–5 together in tight pseudowhorls, sometimes with one or two much smaller leaves, also recorded as spiral. Blade 40–80 x 25–45mm, obovate to elliptic-obovate, apex rounded or obtuse; margin slightly or not recurved; base broadly tapering but the extreme base rounded or truncate; glabrescent above when fully mature, sub-densely to laxly scaly beneath. Scales thin, marginal zone persistent, shallowly and irregularly dentate; centre small, impressed. Mid-vein raised above but grooved proximally for a few millimetres, impressed distally, strongly prominent beneath, but less so towards the apex; lateral veins 6–8 per side, often forked before the edge, anastomosing both among each other and with the stronger veins, laxly reticulate, prominent on both sides. Petiole 2–6 x 2–5mm, somewhat flattened and weakly grooved above, scaly. Flower buds to 40 x 20mm, elongate-ovate, imbricate, yellow-brown, smooth. Bracts to 25 x 15mm, sub-circular to obovate-spathulate, scaly outside and not or only laxly shortly hairy. Inflorescence at first an erect umbel of 5–6 flowers, the tubes closely held together by the bracts, later the flowers spreading and the umbel becoming open. Bracteoles linear. Pedicels c.2 x 5–8mm, sub-densely scaly. Calyx c.2mm in diameter, rim-like, membranous, irregularly and very shortly 5-dentate, fringed. Corolla trumpet-shaped, white, powerfully and sweetly scented; tube 50–70 x 4–4.5 x 5.5–6mm, cylindrical, slightly curved, sub-densely scaly outside, inside with short spreading hairs proximally becoming glabrous above the middle; lobes 10–15 x 6–13mm, obovate to broadly elliptic- circular, spreading, very laxly scaly outside, glabrous inside. Stamens exserted to 8mm, arranged all round the mouth; filaments linear, densely covered with spreading hairs below, these gradually thinning to become glabrous distally; anthers 5–7 x 1–1.2mm, sub-obovate-oblong, base of each cell with a distinct spur-like point. Disc densely hairy. Ovary c.10 x 1.5mm, narrowly cylindrical, slightly tapering towards the base, densely covered with yellowish or whitish, forwardly pointing hairs which cover numerous scales, gradually tapering distally; style 55–65mm, hairy and densely scaly apart from the distal 6mm; stigma conical. Fruit narrowly cylindrical, shortly tapering at both ends, with 5 grooves, sub-densely hairy and scaly, c.50 x 6mm. Seeds with very narrow appendages.

Distribution

Papua New Guinea, Owen Stanley Range; Central District: Mt Obree, Mt Victoria; Milne Bay District: Mt Dayman, Mt Suckling.

Altitude

Habitat

On open hillsides, along rocky river banks and gorges, mostly terrestrial but occasionally epiphytic.

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:179