Bijdr. 1826. 855.
WFO ID: wfo-0000403256
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332131-1
Verified by:
Shrub to 1.5m; roots sometimes swollen and tuber-like. Twigs rounded, 1.5–3mm in diameter, sub-densely sub-stellately scaly, older stems glabrescent, smooth, often red; internodes 1.5–6cm. Leaves 3–7 together in distinct but loose pseudowhorls. Blade 30–70 x 15–30mm, elliptic to narrowly ovate-elliptic; apex shortly acuminate, sub-acute or obtuse; margin entire, narrowly cartilaginous, flat when fresh, slightly and narrowly revolute when dry; base broadly tapering; glabrescent and slightly rugose above at maturity, sub-densely scaly beneath. Scales small, flat or impressed, marginal zone thin, pale, silvery, large, angled or sub-stellately lobed; centre small, brown. Mid-vein narrow and slightly impressed above, strong and prominent beneath; lateral veins 5–7 per side, sub-patently spreading, anastomosing, faintly impressed above, very slightly or not raised beneath, without clear reticulation. Petiole 4–12 x 1–1.5mm, flattened, red, shallowly grooved above, scaly. Flower buds to 15 x 6mm, ellipsoid, smooth, except for low protuberances at the apices of the bracts, minutely pale-brown scaly outside and along the bract margins. Bracts 5–12 x 4–7mm, ovate to obovate, minutely pale-brown scaly outside or glabrous; margin with brown, stellate scales. Bracteoles c.15 x 1–2mm, linear below, sub-spathulate, dilated and irregularly impressed distally, glabrous. Inflorescence 3–8-flowered, an open umbel, the flowers hanging vertically downwards. Pedicels 15–20 x c.1mm, slender, densely stellate-scaly and papillose, not properly hairy. Calyx 2.5–3mm in diameter, disc-shaped, oblique, shortly obtusely 5-lobed, densely scaly outside. Corolla 35–46 x 20–25mm, tubular, pink to red, without scent; tube 30–35 x 6–8 x 9–11mm, cylindrical, straight, often angular and strongly pouched at the base, laxly to very laxly scaly outside, glabrous inside; lobes 8–11 x 6–10mm, sub-circular, mostly not overlapping, half-spreading to almost horizontal. Stamens irregularly spread around the mouth of the flower, or exserted to 8mm; filaments pink, glabrous; anthers 2–2.5 x 1mm, dark, brown, pores up to ½ the length of the anthers. Disc green, prominent, glabrous. Ovary 5–6 x 2mm, sub-cylindrical, pink, very densely silvery stellately scaly, tapering gradually distally; style glabrous or scaly at the base, as long as the corolla; stigma thick-globose. Fruit 25–38 x 35mm, fusiform-cylindrical, scaly. Seeds 7–8mm, without tails c.1mm, the longest tail to 4.5mm, the tails strongly crimped.
Indonesia, Sulawesi, Minahasa: Mt Klabat, Lake Poso area, Mt Rantemario, Mt Gambuta.
Epiphytic in mossy forest
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:287