Description

Shrub to 40cm. Twigs c.4mm in diameter, brown scaly; internodes 1.5–3cm. Leaves loosely to densely spiral. Blade 110–180 x 80–110mm, broadly elliptic to elliptic-obovate, deeply sulcate between the lateral veins; apex rounded-obtuse, or sometimes very shortly apiculate; margin narrowly revolute, often red; base broadly tapering, rounded, truncate, or cordate, glabrescent above when mature, sub-persistently scaly beneath. Scales minute, flat, marginal zone variously sub-stellately lobed; centre small, slightly impressed. Mid-vein as wide as the petiole and slightly raised proximally on the upper surface, strongly prominent beneath; lateral veins 12–16 per side, at right angles, straight and parallel, with numerous similar less distinct veins between, prominent above, broadly impressed beneath, anastomosing and united into an inner intramarginal vein, which is connected by numerous transverse veinlets with an outer, less distinct one; reticulation dense, slightly prominent on both sides, especially beneath. Petiole c.6–12 x 7–10mm, without a groove, flattened above and inconspicuously winged, rounded beneath, densely and finely brown scaly. Flower buds to 50 x 26mm, narrowly ovoid, acute, pale green sometimes with a pink flush, bracts erect, slightly gaping, not tightly appressed. Bracts to 35 x 9mm, narrowly elliptic, acutely pointed, strongly keeled, with a few scales outside and minutely scaly at first along the margins, otherwise glabrous. Bracteoles to 26 x 4mm, narrowly spathulate, channelled, glabrous. Flowers 2–10 in a loose umbel. Pedicels 40–65 x 1.5–2mm, very densely patently short-hairy, scaly. Calyx disc-shaped, wavy, obtusely 5-lobed, c.4mm in diameter, glabrous, lobes sometimes narrowly elongate, appressed. Corolla 35–50 x 50–100mm, funnel-shaped, lobed to halfway, light yellow, without scent, commonly with 4- and 5-lobed flowers; tube c.21 x 12 x 32mm, densely hairy at the base inside, glabrous outside, base slightly 5-lobed; lobes 25–40 x 35–40, obovate-spathulate, spreading, overlapping to c.¼. Stamens c.30mm, arranged all round the mouth, exserted 6–8mm; filaments linear and densely hairy in the lower ½, filiform and glabrous above; anthers 7–8 x 1.5mm, cream, narrowly oblong, curved, each cell with a basal obtuse swelling. Disc prominent, thickly 10-lobed, glabrous below, laxly hairy above. Ovary c.6 x 2mm, sub-cylindrical, densely white-hairy and apparently scaly, tapering distally; style slender, glabrous, 10–15mm; stigma green, thick-conical with 5 distinct lobes. Fruit 35–40 x 9–10mm. Seeds 5–7mm, with irregularly crimped tails, without tails c.0.8mm, the longest tail 3mm.

Distribution

Indonesia (Borneo), Mt Palimasan, near Tabang on Belajan R. in W Kutei. Malaysia (Borneo), Sarawak, Mt Penrissen and Mt Berumput.

Altitude

Habitat

Epiphytic in Agathis forest on waterlogged, white, acid sands or on granite rock faces

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:272