Trans. R. Soc. Vict. n.s. 1889. 1(2): 22.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400656
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332515-1
Verified by:
Erect or prostrate shrub with spreading branches, to 60cm. Twigs 1–1.5mm in diameter, sub-densely covered with brown, stellate, shortly stalked scales at first, later glabrescent and warty; internodes 0.5–3cm. Leaves 2–7 in tight pseudowhorls, often somewhat recurved. Blade 6–18 x 3–6mm, narrowly ovate or narrowly elliptic; apex shortly acuminate, or acute to rounded, occasionally mucronate; margin entire, slightly wavy and weakly revolute; base acutely tapering, dark green and glossy above, distinctly paler beneath, laxly scaly on both sides initially, glabrescent above, persistently scaly beneath. Scales irregularly and obtusely stellately divided at the margin; centre not impressed. Mid-vein smooth and inconspicuous above, more distinct and slightly raised beneath; lateral veins obscure. Petiole 1.5–3 x 0.6–1mm, grooved above, brown-scaly and often with a few white hairs which are scale stalks. Flower buds to 10 x 4mm, ovoid, smooth, acutely pointed, green or flushed with red. Bracts to 8 x 4mm, ovate, acutely pointed or mucronate, glabrous except for the marginal brown scales. Bracteoles 7 x 1.2mm, spathulate with an irregular margin and hooded apex, glabrous except for a few marginal scales. Flowers solitary, or rarely in pairs, hanging. Pedicels 8–16 x c.1mm, pink, densely covered with shortly stalked sub-stellate scales and sometimes with a few very short hairs. Calyx membranous, rounded to deeply 5-lobed, stellate-scaly outside, the lobes triangular, sub-acute, to c.1mm. Corolla 26–33 x 20–25mm, cylindrical, red, or pink, without scent, laxly covered with pale brown scales outside, glabrous inside; tube 18–22 x 6–8 x 9–11mm; lobes 8–11 x 8–10mm, semi-erect to spreading or slightly revolute, obovate to sub-circular. Stamens unequal, clustered on the lower side of the mouth, exserted to c.3mm; filaments linear, glabrous, pink; anthers c.1.5 x 1mm, dark purplish-brown. Disc prominent, glabrous, green. Ovary 4–7 x 1.5–2mm, oblong-cylindrical, densely and exclusively scaly, gradually tapering distally; style on the lower side of the mouth, becoming exserted to 4mm, covered with fine patent, white hairs for the proximal ½–¾ of the length; stigma club-shaped, c.1mm. Fruit 15–22 x 3–4mm, erect, oblique, oblong, a little curved, glabrescent.
Papua New Guinea, Central District: Mt Musgrave; Morobe District: Mt Kaindi and Edie Creek above Wau.
Terrestrial in open low vegetation, on dry slopes or clayey ground of old gold mine workings, also epiphytic in Nothofagus forest or in summit vegetation
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:151