Description

Shrub to 1.2m. Twigs 5–7mm in diameter, rounded, scaly at first, quickly becoming glabrescent; internodes 4–10cm. Leaves 3–4 together in pseudowhorls, large, sub-sessile. Blade 120–250 x 40–90mm, elliptic, or sub-ovate-elliptic; apex short to long-acuminate, acute or sub-acute; margin narrowly but very distinctly revolute; base broadly tapering, the extreme base truncate-rounded or slightly cordate, glabrescent above when mature, laxly scaly beneath. Scales small, marginal zone irregularly and shallowly lobed; centre slightly impressed. Mid-vein narrow and markedly impressed above, strongly prominent on the underside proximally; lateral veins 8–14 per side, with additional shorter ones between, irregular and ascending, arching inwards before the margin, slightly raised above, more distinctly so beneath, reticulation lax, slightly raised on both sides. Petiole 4–7 x 3–4mm, grooved above, densely scaly. Bracts to 55 x 15mm; outer bracts ovate-lanceolate, long acute hairy and scaly outside; inner ones broadly ovate-acuminate and sub-acute to elliptic-spathulate, also hairy and scaly, glabrous inside. Bracteoles to 30 x 1mm, linear-filiform, scaly and hairy. Inflorescence 4–9-flowered, an open umbel. Pedicels 60–110 x c.1.5mm, erect, laxly scaly, minutely and sparsely hairy. Calyx c.5mm in diameter, rounded or very shortly, obtusely 5-lobed, scaly outside. Corolla c.80 x 100mm, funnel-shaped, orange or reddish to pink, flushed yellow outside; tube 25–30 x 5–8 x 15–20mm, lobed at the base, laxly stellate-scaly outside, laxly hairy inside, with prominent dark veins running lengthwise to the apices of the lobes in the dry state; lobes 50–60 x 30mm, obovate, spreading. Stamens exserted to 25mm; filaments linear and densely hairy in the proximal ½, filiform and glabrous distally; anthers 6–7 x 1mm, linear-oblong, slightly curved. Disc prominent, hairy in the upper ½, glabrous below. Ovary 9–10 x c.3mm, sub-cylindrical, hairy, with numerous minute brown scales between the hairs, tapering gradually distally; style as long as the stamens and covered with short hairs and clearly visible scales in the proximal ½–2⁄3; stigma thick, 5-lobed. Fruit 60–100 x c.5mm, elongate-cylindrical, laxly hairy and scaly.

Distribution

Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Noord R.; Vogelkop, Dalman, near Nabire. Papua New Guinea, Central District, Musgrave Range; Mt Yule.

Altitude

Habitat

Epiphytic in Agathis forest, or terrestrial in rain forest, 400–600m, also reported from rocks near a river, 1220–2745m.

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:318