Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 74.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400829
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332405-1
Verified by:
Dwarf shrub to 25cm. Twigs stiffly erect, rounded, c.2mm in diameter, the tips densely covered with pale brown scurfy scales, otherwise rough and dark coloured. Leaves spirally arranged, not in proper pseudowhorls, although some areas of stem are almost bare of normal-sized leaves. Blade 8–13 x 4–7mm, ovate, elliptic or broadly elliptic; apex shortly acuminate, with acute, often mucronate points; margin entire, strongly revolute; base sub-truncate, rounded; young leaves stellate scaly on both sides, mature ones glabrescent above, persistently scaly beneath. Scales scurfy, the margin deeply stellately divided, sub-sessile, the minute centre deepened, each scale on top of a persistent epidermal tubercle. Mid-vein obscure or faintly impressed above, slightly prominent beneath, lateral veins not visible, rigid and very thick and leathery, silvery grey above, brown beneath. Petiole 1–2 x 1–2mm, very shallowly grooved, often broader than long, densely scaly. Flower buds broadly ovoid, 8–10 x c.7mm, the points appressed or slightly spreading. Bracts ovate-acuminate, densely scaly outside and on the margins, glabrous inside, to 10 x 6mm. Bracteoles filiform, glabrous, to 8mm. Inflorescence of paired or solitary flowers, rarely up to 4 together, horizontal to hanging. Pedicels 7–12mm x c.1mm, densely brown scurfy-scaly. Calyx small, densely scaly, irregularly 5-toothed, the teeth broadly triangular, sub-acute, 1mm or one or the other of them elongate to 3mm. Corolla 12–16 x 12–15mm, pale yellow, sometimes with a violet flush and with conspicuous brown scales outside; tube 8–10 x 4–5 x 7–8mm, sub-cylindrical or slightly expanded upwards, very densely brown stellate-scaly outside, glabrous inside; lobes 4–5mm in diameter, sub-erect or a little spreading, sub-spathulate to circular, densely scaly outside except for the margin, glabrous inside. Stamens slightly unequal, clustered round the mouth of the flower; filaments filiform, slightly dilated above the base, glabrous; anthers c.1.5 x 1mm, broadly oblong. Disc low, glabrous. Ovary 3–4 x c.2.5mm, ovoid-conical, very densely stellate-scaly, abruptly contracted distally; style 1.6–2mm, thick-columnar, densely scaly at the base but abruptly becoming completely glabrous; stigma shortly 5-lobed. Fruit 8–10 x 5–6mm, ovoid, shortly contracted distally, densely brown or greyish-brown scaly, with a persistent style; valves not twisted, placentae remaining coherent with the central column. Seeds 1–1.3mm, without tails c.1mm, the longest tail c.0.2mm.
Indonesia, SW Central Sulawesi, Latimodjong Range, Mt Rantemario
Common in the open summit areas.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:73