Description

Shrub to 2m. Twigs rounded, or fluted with longitudinal grooves in the youngest parts, 3–4mm in diameter, with small brown indistinct scales; internodes 2–9cm; lateral buds conspicuous, 3mm, conical. Leaves 3–5 large, and a few smaller together in distinct pseudowhorls. Blade 65–100 x 30–50mm, obovate or elliptic; apex rounded or retuse; margin slightly recurved; base broadly tapering; glabrescent above, laxly scaly but also often glabrescent beneath. Scales small, marginal zone variously lobed; centre dark, persistent, deeply impressed. Mid-vein strongly impressed above and raised below throughout its length; lateral veins 5–7 per side also slightly impressed above and raised below, dark-green above, paler green below. Petiole 7–12 x 4–6mm, strongly grooved above, initially with fine brown scales, green. Flower buds 14 x 9mm, ellipsoid, green or yellowish-green, with appressed, rounded or shortly apiculate bud scales. Inflorescence with 11–14 flowers held horizontally or half-hanging in an open umbel. Pedicels green or bright-red, densely scaly, sometimes also with hairs. Calyx a low ring covered in scales. Corolla c.26 x 30mm, shortly funnel-shaped, pale-yellow, often lightly flushed with pink outside on the tube, very strongly and sweetly scented; tube c.12 x 6 x 9mm, covered in scales and hairy inside at the base; lobes c.16 x 17mm, densely scaly outside, overlapping to c.halfway and broadly spreading nearly to the horizontal. Stamens evenly arranged in a circle at the mouth of the tube; filaments c.13mm, with patent hairs in the proximal 1⁄3; anthers 2.5–3.3 x c.0.8mm, oblong. Disc hairy at the upper margin. Ovary c.4 x 2.5mm, sub-conical, densely hairy and scaly; style 4–6 x c.2mm, patently hairy near the base only, cream; stigma c.2mm in diameter, green. Fruit c.15 x 7mm, ovoid-cylindrical. Seeds 2.3–2.6mm, without tails 1.0mm, the longest tail 0.8mm.

Distribution

Malaysia (Borneo), Sabah, Mt Kinabalu.

Altitude

Habitat

Mossy sub-montane forest. On Kinabalu it is common in the zone of ultramafic soils dominated by bamboo; it usually grows on emergent trees although seedlings can be commonly found on the ground or amongst moss on tree trunks.

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:273