Rhododendron glabrifilum J.J.Sm.

Nova Guinea 1914. 12: 134, t.31.

WFO ID: wfo-0000400632

IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332490-1

Verified by:

Description

Shrub. Twigs slender, sparsely scaly; internodes 3.5–13cm. Leaves 3–5 together in tight pseudowhorls. Blade 40–160 x 12–50mm, elliptic to narrowly ovate-elliptic; apex acuminate, acute, margin entire, flat, base broadly tapering, sometimes slightly decurrent; glabrescent above, sub-densely and more persistently scaly beneath. Scales sub-stellately lobed, margin broad; centre small and slightly impressed. Mid-vein narrowly impressed above, strongly prominent beneath; lateral veins 5–13 per side, spreading at a wide angle, anastomosing before the margin, reticulation lax to obscure. Petiole 2–5 x c.2mm, grooved above, scaly. Inflorescence 3–15 flowers in an open to complete umbel, flowers erect to semi-erect. Pedicels 30–50 x c.1mm, sparsely scaly. Calyx a low disc, scaly. Corolla c.27 x 33mm, red or yellow; tube 11–13 x c.8.5 x c.10mm, scaly outside, glabrous inside, or with a few sparse hairs, 5-angled, lobed at the base; lobes 11–13 x 8–10mm, wide-spreading to reflexed, not or only shortly overlapping, scaly outside. Stamens 21–23mm, arranged all round the flower, exserted to c.10mm; filaments filiform, glabrous or occasionally very sparsely hairy near the base; anthers c.2.5mm, oblong. Disc 10-lobed, glabrous. Ovary c.5 x 2.5mm, shortly cylindrical, longitudinally grooved, densely covered with distally pointing hairs which hide small scales; style hairy and scaly in the proximal ½, glabrous distally; stigma rounded.

Distribution

Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Legarei R., near Manokwari, Arfak Mts; Mt Ditschi (as R. mayrii), Doormantop; Idenberg R.; Japen Is. Papua New Guinea, Torricelli Mts, Jimmy Valley

Altitude

Habitat

According to Sleumer (1966) it is predominantly or possibly exclusively epiphytic.

Nomenclatural History

R. torricellense Schltr., Bot. Jahr. 1917. 55: 142. R. mayrii J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 1936. 18: 97, t.20, f.2. R. macgregoriae F.Muell. var. glabrifilum Sleumer, Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 206.

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:314