Folia Malaysiana 2003. 4(2): 113.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400259
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:70029627-1
Verified by:
Shrub or small tree to 2m. Twigs finely scaly and minutely but densely patently hairy but quickly glabrescent; internodes 1–2cm. Leaves arranged in pseudowhorls of 2 or 3 together, or on young vigorous growth, spirally arranged. Blade 90–180 x 50–95mm, sub-ovate to broadly elliptic; apex broadly acute; margin flat and entire; base rounded to slightly cordate; upper leaf surface smooth to slightly rugose, glabrescent, lower surface laxly scaly. Scales small, with a small centre and lobed, silvery, thin flange. Mid-vein weakly raised above in the proximal 2⁄3, then becoming impressed, very strongly and broadly raised beneath throughout its length and finely striate when dry; lateral veins 7–16 per side, spreading almost at a right angle to the mid-vein, slender and hardly tapering until near the edge of the leaf, forking towards the margin, curving and anastomosing to form a weak but distinct, looping intramarginal vein and with a conspicuously raised reticulation viewed from above; beneath smooth with the lateral veins less conspicuous but still distinctly reticulate. Petiole 5–9 x 4–5mm, minutely patently hairy and scaly, almost rounded in section, somewhat flattened but not grooved above. Inflorescence an umbel of c.4 flowers. Pedicels 16–20 x 1.5mm, with a sparse to moderate covering of scales but no simple hairs. Flowers 75 x 72mm, yellow with a reddish flush; tube c.33 x 6 x 12mm, with a few sparse scales near the base outside otherwise glabrous, irregularly but densely short-hairy inside (but the hairs not in lines); lobes 45 x 35mm, slightly retuse at the apex. Stamens irregularly arranged; filaments c.34mm, densely hairy in the basal 1⁄3 becoming glabrous distally; anthers c.5 x 1.75mm. Disc apparently glabrous. Ovary 5–6 x c.2mm, sparsely scaly and covered with very short patent white hairs; style c.35 x 1mm, with a few scales in the basal 5mm, glabrous distally; stigma c.4mm in diameter. Fruit (immature) 30 x 5mm, fusiform, minutely hairy.
Malaysia (Borneo), Sabah, known only from a few collections all from Mt Monkobo in the Beluran District.
Probably terrestrial in mossy forest on the summit area (1829m).
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:260