Rhododendron cornu-bovis Sleumer

Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 152.

WFO ID: wfo-0000403118

IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332243-1

Verified by:

Description

Small straggling shrub to 2m. Twigs c.1mm in diameter, rounded, tips flattened and densely covered with reddish-brown, sub-stellate scales; internodes 2–4cm. Leaves 4–6 together in pseudowhorls. Blade 25–40 x 8–14mm, obovate-elliptic to obovate; apex broadly tapering, obtuse or rounded; margin slightly recurved; base tapering, scaly on both sides at first, quickly glabrescent above, persistently sub-densely scaly beneath. Scales large, flat, irregularly stellately divided in the marginal zone; centre slightly impressed. Mid-vein grooved above, prominent beneath; lateral veins 3–4 per side, inconspicuous, often obscure beneath. Petiole 2–4mm, scaly. Bracts to 8 x 5mm, broadly ovate to ovate-elliptic, obtuse, glabrous outside, except for the marginal scales. Bracteoles c.5mm, filiform, laxly scaly. Inflorescence 2–3-flowered. Pedicels 10–14 x 0.5–0.7mm, slender, sub-densely stellately scaly and sparsely, shortly patently hairy. Calyx c.2.5mm in diameter, disc-shaped, oblique, scaly and shortly hairy outside, indistinctly 5-lobed. Corolla c.25 x 20mm, obliquely tubular-funnel-shaped, pink to red; tube 12–14 x 4–5 x 6–8mm, sub-densely to laxly covered with reddish-brown sub-stellate scales outside, laxly hairy inside, slightly curved; lobes 9–10 x 6–7mm, spreading, obovate-spathulate. Stamens exserted to c.5mm, sub-equal; filaments filiform, laxly patently hairy for the proximal 2⁄3, glabrous distally; anthers c.1.6mm, broadly oblong. Disc prominent, glabrous. Ovary c.5 x 2mm, sub-cylindrical, densely short-hairy and scaly, the scales covered by the hairs, tapering distally; style oblique, laxly patently hairy in the proximal ½, without scales, glabrous distally, nearly equalling the corolla in length; stigma sub-globose. Fruit (sub-mature) 22 x 4mm, sub-fusiform-cylindric, curved, densely hairy and scaly.

Distribution

Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Waigeou I., (W of Vogelkop), top of Mt Nok (Buffelhoorn)

Altitude

Habitat

Reported to be common in mossy forest and shrubberies

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:219