In Merr., Contr. Arn. Arb. 1934. 8: 123.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400802
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332457-1
Verified by:
Small, much-branched shrub, to 75cm. Twigs rounded, sparsely to sub-densely covered with sub-stellate low scales, older glabrescent parts at first a little rough with scale bases later becoming smooth; internodes 0.3–3.5cm. Leaves 5–8 together in dense pseudowhorls, obovate-elliptic or spathulate. Blade 18–35 x 4–8mm; apex obtuse or rounded; margin slightly revolute; base tapering; glabrescent above, persistently scaly or slowly glabrescent beneath also. Scales small, flat, with a narrow marginal zone, sub-entire or irregularly shallowly lobed; centre relatively large and somewhat impressed. Mid-vein impressed above, obtusely raised beneath in the proximal ½, disappearing distally; lateral veins not visible. Petiole 1–2mm, scaly, flat. Bracts to 6 x 2mm, narrowly ovate-acuminate, long subulate, membranous, sparsely scaly and papillose at the apex, glabrous proximally, the margins fringed with scales. Flowers solitary, half-hanging to hanging. Pedicels 10–13mm, thick, densely covered with stellate scales and with a few short hairs. Calyx c.3mm in diameter, small, disc-shaped, thin, shortly 5-lobed, scaly and often shortly hairy outside. Corolla 14–16 x 7–9mm, broadly tubular-campanulate, thin, red; tube 10–12 x 4–5 x 5–7mm, broadly cylindrical, densely covered with sub-entire, thick scales outside, laxly long-hairy in the proximal ½ inside; lobes c.3.5 x 3.5mm, ovate, obtusely pointed, scaly outside, erect to partly spreading. Stamens exserted to c.2mm, sub-equal; filaments linear, dilated at the base, densely patently hairy nearly to the top; anthers c.1.4mm, sub-quadrangular, truncate. Disc glabrous. Ovary c.4 x 2mm, ovoid-conical, densely scaly and long white-hairy, the hairs covering the scales, abruptly contracted distally; style 7–8mm, covered in the proximal 2⁄5 with white hairs; stigma globose. Fruit 13–15 x 4–5mm, sub-cylindrical, laxly hairy and scaly. Seeds 4mm, including the long tails.
Indonesia, N Sumatra, Gajo Lands: Bur ni Tèlong and Redelong Volcano.
Terrestrial on slopes.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:193