Nova Guinea 1936. 18: 96, t.20, 1.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400105
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332711-1
Verified by:
Shrub to 2m. Twigs 5–6mm in diameter, rounded, laxly scaly at first; internodes 0.8–1.7cm. Leaves 6–7 together in tight to loose pseudowhorls with persistent large cataphylls between the foliage leaves. Blade 18–33 x 8–18mm, broadly elliptic-obovate; apex broadly sub-acuminate or obtuse to rounded, with a thick and somewhat protruding gland; margin distinctly crenulate, flat or a little recurved; base broadly tapering and decurrent, sub-sessile, initially sub-densely scaly on both sides, early glabrescent above, less so beneath. Scales small, marginal zone narrow, irregularly sub-stellately lobed or crenate; centre slightly or not impressed. Mid-vein faintly impressed above, flat beneath; lateral veins 4–6 per side, erecto-patent, obscure on both sides, reticulation inconspicuous. Petiole 1–2 x 3–4mm, flattened. Outer bracts to 10 x 8mm, membranous, glabrous outside, ovate, apiculate; middle bracts to 20–35 x c.15mm, ovate-elliptic, innermost bracts to 50 x 20mm, elliptic-obovate to spathulate, not fringed. Bracteoles to 20 x 1mm, linear, glabrous. Inflorescence 3–4-flowered. Pedicels c.10 x 1mm, densely scaly, without hairs. Calyx c.4mm in diameter, oblique, disc-shaped, shortly sub-acutely 5-lobed. Corolla 30 x 45mm, funnel-shaped, dark red, fleshy, glabrous both in and outside, 5-lobed to nearly halfway; tube c.15 x 4 x 10mm; lobes 12–15 x 12–15mm, obovate to sub-circular. Stamens unequal, slightly exserted; filaments linear, dilated above the base, glabrous; anthers c.3.5 x 1.8mm, obovate, base sub-acutely tapering into 2 appendages which are very close together. Disc prominent, glabrous. Ovary 6 x 2.5–3mm, sub-cylindrical, densely scaly, tapering distally; style thick, glabrous, exceeding the stamens in length; stigma obconical, distinctly lobed. Fruit c.25 x 7mm, thick-fusiform, on pedicels to 30 x 2mm. Seeds 3mm, without tails c.1mm, the longest tail 1mm, with a very broad tail at one end.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Mt Doorman, on an open slope with rocks
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:229