Fedde Rep. 1932. 30: 164.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400683
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332622-1
Verified by:
Shrub to 1.2m. Twigs semi-rounded, densely covered with stellate scales, becoming glabrescent; internodes 2–10cm. Leaves 4–5 together in pseudowhorls. Blade 62–83 x 24–32mm, elliptic; apex shortly acuminate, sub-acute or rarely obtuse; margin slightly recurved; base broadly tapering to nearly rounded; above sub-densely covered with small, flat, non-impressed scales which become silvery and persist for a long time, especially on the mid-vein, eventually glabrescent; more densely and more persistently scaly beneath. Scales dense, but mostly not touching, orange-brown, small, marginal zone irregularly lobed; centre dark, distinctly impressed. Mid-vein grooved above, strongly and obtusely prominent beneath; lateral veins 8–10 per side, spreading, obscurely anastomosing, very slightly impressed above, hardly raised beneath, reticulation inconspicuous. Petiole 8–10 x 1.5–2mm, densely scaly, the scales touching initially as they do on the proximal area of the mid-vein beneath, semi-rounded, grooved above. Inflorescence 5–7-flowered. Pedicels 10–19 x 0.7mm, sparsely scaly. Calyx c.4mm in diameter, obliquely disc-shaped, unequally 5-angular. Corolla 30–35mm, tubular-funnel-shaped, red, glabrous inside and out; tube 20–23 x c.5 x c.7mm, straight, lobed at the base; lobes 10–13 x 7–12mm, spreading, obovate to sub-circular. Stamens somewhat exserted from the mouth; filaments linear, densely patently hairy in the proximal 5–7mm; anthers c.3.5 x 1mm, oblong, the base obtuse. Disc prominent, glabrous. Ovary 5–6 x 2–2.5mm, conical-sub-cylindrical, densely stellate-scaly, without hairs, abruptly contracted distally; style as long as the stamens, glabrous; stigma rounded.
Indonesia, Maluku, Buru, known only from the type collection.
Terrestrial on a peat moor at Kunturun
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:266