Description

Shrub to 3m. Twigs 2–3mm in diameter, rounded, sparsely scaly when young; internodes 2–12cm. Leaves 3–5 together in tight pseudowhorls. Blade 40–75 x 30–45mm, broadly elliptic or sub-obovate-elliptic, apex abruptly and shortly or gradually acuminate, obtuse, sometimes rounded or slightly emarginate, terminal gland thick, not protruding; margin flat; base broadly tapering or tapering; laxly scaly on both sides when young, glabrescent above, persistently laxly scaly beneath. Scales small, marginal zone variously lobed; centre slightly impressed. Mid-vein slightly or faintly impressed above, bluntly prominent in the proximal ½ beneath; lateral veins 5–7 per side, spreading, divided and curved-anastomosing before the margin, obscure above, a little raised beneath, reticulation inconspicuous. Petiole 5–10 x 1–1.5mm, grooved above, somewhat rugose, glabrous. Outer bracts to 15 x 8mm, ovate to obovate, innermost ones elliptic-spathulate, hairy on the outer middle line and at the apex, margin with fragile scales. Bracteoles c.15mm, linear-sub-spathulate to filiform, laxly hairy. Inflorescence 2–5-flowered, an open umbel. Pedicels 10–27 x c.1mm, densely, shortly hairy, laxly scaly at both ends. Calyx c.4mm in diameter, oblique, disc-shaped, shortly obtusely 5-lobed, scaly and hairy outside. Corolla tubular, yellow shading to orange, especially at the lobes, and yellow or green on the tube; tube 25–35 x 7–10 x 15–20mm, straight, the base lobed, sparsely scaly outside, laxly hairy in the proximal 1⁄3 inside; lobes 15–25 x c.20mm, broadly obovate or sub-circular. Stamens unequal, regularly arranged around the flower, short ones at or a little beyond the mouth, longer ones exserted to c.12mm; filaments linear, yellow, densely and very shortly hairy in the proximal 1⁄3, glabrous distally; anthers 3–5 x c.1mm, blackish-purple, narrow-oblong, base with two short points. Disc slightly prominent, white-hairy on the upper margin. Ovary c.6 x 2.5mm, sub-cylindrical, abruptly contracted distally, white-hairy and scaly (scales hidden by the hairs); style 30–40mm, as long as the corolla tube, densely hairy and scaly proximally, becoming laxly so distally, glabrous for the 5–7mm below the stigma; stigma thick, 5-lobed. Fruit 30–34 x c.6mm, persistently appressed hairy, fusiform with longitudinal grooves.

Distribution

Papua New Guinea, Milne Bay District, Daga country; Mt Simpson area, Mt Dayman area.

Altitude

Habitat

Compact terrestrial shrubs on precipitous rock faces or cliffs, overhanging deep gorges, in full sun. Locally abundant.

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:306