Nova Guinea 1936. 18: 95, t.19, 2.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400827
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332404-1
Verified by:
Shrub to 1.2m, with long tortuous branches and leaves only at the extreme ends. Twigs rounded, densely brown scurfy-scaly at the tips, glabrescent and rough below, blackish when dry; internodes 0.8–4cm. Leaves 4–5 together in pseudowhorls, with some much reduced ones scattered along the internodes, stiff, dull light green above, light greenish yellow beneath. Blade 10–16 x 3–7mm, ovate; apex shortly acuminate, sub-acute; margin strongly revolute, often to the mid-vein; base rounded-obtuse; very densely scaly with stellate scales on both sides initially, early glabrescent above, more slowly so beneath, leaving the surface rough. Scales deeply and irregularly narrowly divided, commonly to the minute centre; each scale shortly dendroid and mounted on top of a distinct epidermal tubercle. Mid-vein slightly grooved above, somewhat prominent beneath; lateral veins obscure. Petiole 2–3mm, thick, scaly. Bracts to 15 x 5mm, ovate, acuminate, ciliate and scaly along the outside middle line, otherwise glabrous. Bracteoles to 10mm, linear to linear-sub-spathulate, glabrous. Pedicels c.5 x 1mm, densely reddish-brown scaly. Calyx c.2.5mm in diameter, oblique, disc-shaped, very shortly obtusely 5-lobed, densely scaly. Corolla c.19mm, very pale-yellow, nearly white, broadly funnel-shaped, 5-lobed halfway or slightly more; tube 8–9 x 3–4 x 8–9mm, sub-densely covered with brown scales outside, glabrous inside; lobes c.12 x 12mm, half-spreading, wavy, sub-circular, glabrous except for some scales at the very base outside. Stamens 7–8mm, slightly unequal; filaments linear, slightly dilated above the base, pale green, glabrous; anthers c.1.5mm, red-brown, oblong, dehiscing by distinctly outwardly facing pores. Disc very small. Ovary c.4 x 3mm, ovoid-conical, obtuse, densely stellately scaly, abruptly contracted distally; style to 1mm, very shortly obconical, glabrous; stigma convex, slightly lobed. Fruit c.12 x 6mm, ovoid, densely brown-stellate-scaly.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Mt Doorman.
Open slope, also in the saddle between the summits, scattered though common
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:81