Description

Low shrub, to 50cm, branches spreading. Twigs slender, laxly scaly; internodes 0.8–6cm. Leaves 3–6 together in pseudowhorls. Blade 20–60 x 9–30mm, ovate-elliptic to elliptic; apex shortly acuminate or broadly tapering, obtuse, sometimes rounded, or apiculate; margin cartilaginous, distinctly revolute; base broadly tapering; glabrescent above with age, persistently sub-densely scaly beneath. Scales small, flat, sub-stellate, faintly impressed, eventually glabrescent beneath with only blackish pits remaining. Mid-vein impressed above, prominent beneath; lateral veins 4–6 per side, straight below, looping near the margin, impressed above, distinctly raised beneath, or sub-obscure. Petiole 2–4mm, flat. Bracts to 10 x 5mm, ovate-acuminate, shortly subulate, membranous, glabrous, except for the marginal scales. Bracteoles to 10mm, filiform. Inflorescence 2–6-flowered. Pedicels 10–24mm, slender, densely scaly and patently hairy. Calyx c.3mm in diameter, disc-shaped, often reflexed, obscurely 5-lobed, scaly and hairy outside. Corolla c.25mm, tubular-funnel-shaped, sub-oblique, bright to dark red, waxy and glossy; tube 15 x 4–5 x 5–6mm, sub-cylindrical, laxly hairy, mainly in the proximal ½ outside, or sometimes glabrous, always without scales, laxly patently hairy in the proximal ½ inside; lobes 8 x 12mm, spreading, broadly obovate-spathulate. Stamens exserted to c.5mm; filaments linear, laxly patently hairy above the base to the proximal ¼, glabrous distally; anthers c.2mm, dark purple to almost black, oblong-obovate. Disc glabrous. Ovary c.5 x 3mm, sub-ovoid, densely, shortly covered with spreading hairs, the hairs covering the scales, tapering distally; style equalling the stamens, hairy nearly to the top; stigma sub-globose.

Distribution

Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Vogelkop Peninsula, Arfak, Tamrau and Nettoti Mts. Epiphytic in mossy Nothofagus forest. Apparently very scattered or rare.

Altitude

Habitat

Nomenclatural History

R. coenenii J.J.Sm., Nova Guinea 1914. 12(2): 132, t.30a. R. gibbsiae J.J.Sm. in Gibbs, Phyto. Fl. Arfak Mts 1917. 169.

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:218