Gartenflora 1885. 34: 193, t.1195.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400053
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332689-1
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Shrub, or small tree, to 10m. Twigs 3–5mm in diameter, rounded, scaly; internodes 5–9cm. Leaves 4–8 together in tight pseudowhorls. Blade 70–160 x 25–50mm, elliptic, broadly elliptic to obovate; apex shortly and abruptly acuminate, the tip acute, often shortly deflexed; margin entire or slightly wavy, very slightly, or not revolute; base broadly tapering, rarely sub-rounded, densely scaly on both sides initially, becoming glabrescent above, laxly sub-persistently scaly beneath. Scales flat, small, with a relatively wide marginal zone sub-stellately lobed; centre small and shallowly impressed. Mid-vein dilated at the base, suddenly narrowed and a little impressed above, as thick as the petiole and obtusely prominent in the proximal part beneath; lateral veins 8–10 per side, spreading and ascending, arching inwards near the margin, slightly impressed or raised above, distinctly prominent beneath, reticulation dense, smooth when living, raised slightly on both sides, when dry or at least underneath. Petiole 15–20 x 2–3mm, almost rounded, not grooved, flushed with red. Flower buds (see p.327) 25–40 x 18mm, sub-spherical to obovoid; apex rounded, or broadly acute to obtuse, glossy white with pale green or red margins to the bracts and a light pink flush along the centre line, smooth in outline, the bracts tightly appressed except for a collarette of small broad dead bracts spreading at a wide angle around the base. Bracts to 20 x 12mm; outer ovate, obtuse, inner ones obovate to spathulate, sometimes retuse, with a small gland-like apiculus, often splitting apically to become emarginate, laxly scaly apically outside or glabrous, often rugose by minute tubercles; margins with a few fragile scales. Bracteoles to 20mm, filiform to linear-spathulate. Inflorescence 10–20-flowered, an open umbel, the flowers mostly horizontal but also semi-erect, to half-hanging. Pedicels 20–30 x c.2mm, densely covered with pale sub-stellate scales, without hairs. Calyx 3–4mm in diameter, obliquely disc-shaped, shortly obtusely 5-lobed, lobes occasionally up to 8mm, densely scaly outside. Corolla 35–47 x 45–47mm, narrowly funnel-shaped, white, not or sweetly scented; tube 30–33 x 9 x 14–17mm, laxly covered with sub-stellate scales outside, sub-densely short-hairy inside; lobes 19–20 x 22–23mm, spreading nearly to the perpendicular, overlapping to c.¾, obovate-sub-circular, often emarginate. Stamens arranged all round the mouth of the flower, at first thrust forward in a group, exserted 6–8mm, later wide-spreading, reflexed back against the corolla lobes; filaments linear, white and sub-densely patently hairy in the proximal ½–¾, glabrous and filiform distally; anthers 3–3.5 x 1mm, white, obovate-oblong; base shortly though distinctly possessing 2 appendages. Disc glabrous. Ovary 5–6 x 2.5mm, sub-cylindrical, white-hairy, the hairs patent or slightly distally directed, covering small, silvery scales, gradually narrowed distally; style deep within the tube, lying on the lower side when the flower first opens, later elongating, becoming exserted to 15mm, the distal part curving upwards to present the stigma on the upper side of the flower, green at the base, white distally and sub-densely to sparsely hairy to the lower ½–¾, glabrous distally and totally without scales; stigma 2.5–3mm in diameter, green. Fruit 25–40 x 6–10mm, sub-cylindrical, laxly scaly but densely grey-hairy, green strongly flushed with purplish red; valves splitting and opening to the perpendicular or a little beyond, not or only slightly twisting; placentae opening slightly. Seeds 3–4.5mm, without tails c.1mm, the longest tail to 2mm, the tails both crimped and with one sometimes broader than the other.
Philippines, Luzon, Mindoro, Negros, Mindanao.
On ridges in mossy forest.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:278