Nova Guinea 1936. 18: 93, t.19, 1.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400256
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332925-1
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Spreading shrub to 10cm. Twigs 1–1.5mm in diameter, rounded, the youngest parts densely covered with stellate scales on stalks and with occasional hairs, older parts warty with the scale stalks; internodes 1–6cm. Leaves 5–7 together in well-marked pseudowhorls. Blade 6–12 x 3–8mm, narrowly to broadly elliptic, sometimes obovate; apex shortly acuminate, sub-acute to obtuse, or rounded; margin flat, entire or minutely crenulate; base tapering; laxly scaly and quickly glabrescent above, laxly and more persistently scaly below. Scales variably sized, rounded to stellate, impressed. Mid-vein impressed above and slightly raised below or obscure; lateral veins mostly obscure, sometimes with one at an acute angle. Petiole 1.5–2 x 1mm, grooved above, scaly with minute scales and occasional short hairs. Flower buds to 8 x 4mm, green becoming brown before opening, smooth with all bracts appressed. Bracts to 8 x 3.5mm, broadly ovate to broadly elliptic, covered with semi-appressed hairs outside and a few scales near the centre line distally and on the margin near the apex. Bracteoles c.8mm, filiform, with a few scales near the apex. Flowers solitary, rarely in pairs, hanging vertically. Pedicels 8–10 x 0.8mm, red, densely scaly with stalked scales and a few hairs. Calyx c.2.5mm in diameter, obliquely cup-shaped, 5-lobed, densely scaly. Corolla 25–28 x 18mm, dark red, without scent, narrowly funnel-shaped; tube 20–22 x 3–4 x 6–8mm, weakly curved, laxly silvery scaly outside, glabrous inside; lobes c.6 x 6mm, circular, overlapping to 1⁄3. Stamens loosely clustered on the lower side of the mouth, exserted to c.2mm; filaments linear, red, glabrous; anthers of two sizes, c.0.8 x 0.6mm and c.1.4 x 0.9mm. Disc with some hairs and scales at the upper margin. Ovary c.5 x 2mm, oblong-conical, longitudinally 5-grooved, densely silvery, stellate-scaly, gradually tapering distally; style c.8mm on opening, elongating to 15mm as the flower ages, with some sparse, spreading, yellowish hairs or scales at the base, elsewhere glabrous, or glabrous all over; stigma minute, c.1mm in diameter. Fruit 25 x 4mm, fusiform, curved, outer layer peeling away and the valves curling back. Seeds 6–7.5mm, without tails c.0.7mm, the longest tail 3.5mm, tails laxly crimped.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Nassau Mts, W side; Mt Jaya (Carstensz); Snow Mts region, E of the Baliem Valley.
Mossy forest
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:144