Description

Erect shrub to 2m. Twigs rounded, sub-densely scaly when young, glabrescent and whitish later; internodes 3–13cm. Leaves 4–6 together in tight pseudowhorls; aromatic with a pleasantly resinous smell when crushed. Blade 40–60 x 20–40mm, elliptic or obovate-elliptic; apex broadly obtusely acuminate, sometimes rounded; margin slightly revolute towards the base; base broadly tapering to almost rounded, sub-densely scaly when young, though early glabrescent above persistently impressed-scaly beneath. Scales rounded, pale yellow, their marginal zones narrow and shallowly irregularly crenate. Mid-vein slightly grooved above, robust and prominent beneath; lateral veins 6–10 (rarely up to 12) per side, slightly curved, parallel to each other, obscurely anastomosing, faintly impressed above, raised beneath, reticulation obscure. Petiole 4–10 x 1.5–2mm, semi-circular, grooved above, scaly, pink or green. Flower buds c.20 x 10mm, obovoid, pale green when fresh. Bracts to 15 x 10mm, ovate, thin, densely scaly outside except for a glabrous marginal area, with scales along the edges and some sparse short hairs on the outer side, the scales transparent-silvery in fresh specimens. Bracteoles to 30mm, narrowly linear. Inflorescence a 5–10-flowered umbel of stiffly semi-erect flowers. Pedicels 4–8 x c.1.5mm, thick, densely scaly. Calyx very small, oblique, disc-shaped, sub-entire. Corolla 40–90mm, pure white, or slightly pinkish at the tube externally, fragrant, semi-erect, trumpet-shaped; tube 35–85 x 3–4 x 5–6mm, straight or slightly curved, densely scaly outside, densely hairy and sparingly or not scaly in the proximal part inside; lobes 8–9 x 5–6mm, spreading to somewhat reflexed, circular to elliptic-obovate, scaly outside, glabrous inside. Stamens exserted in a tight cluster beyond the recurved corolla lobes at first, later deflexed to lie against the lower lobes; filaments white, very slender, densely and patently hairy in the proximal 2⁄3 only; anthers orange, oblong. Disc very sparsely hairy or glabrous. Ovary 6–7 x 1.5mm, narrowly cylindrical, very densely scaly, abruptly tapering distally; style exserted from the mouth, densely scaly below, less so or glabrous distally; stigma green, shortly obconical. Fruit 30–50 x 4–5mm, reddish, cylindrical, straight, scaly.

Distribution

Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. New Guinea, the Main Range from the Wissel Lakes to the Owen Stanley Range, Mt Garatun in the Milne Bay District, the Cromwell Mts and on Mt Saruwaged.

Altitude

Habitat

Terrestrial or epiphytic, on cliff faces, landslides, steep eroded banks or slopes, also in montane forest or heath-like scrub on infertile sandy or clayey soil, occasionally found in fern re-growth, as a coloniser in sluiced areas or in gullies of old garden land

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:67