Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 118.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400273
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:332942-1
Verified by:
Shrub. Twigs flattened, sub-densely scaly; internodes 7–15cm. Leaves 4 together in pseudowhorls. Blade 70–100 x 35–50mm, elliptic, apex shortly, gradually acuminate, sub-acute; margin entire, sub-revolute; base broadly tapering, glabrescent above at maturity, laxly scaly beneath. Scales small, brown, irregularly lobed; centre slightly impressed. Mid-vein slightly but distinctly impressed above, very prominent beneath for the proximal ¾, less so distally, more densely scaly than the lamina; lateral veins 6–8 per side, distant from each other, diverging at an acute angle, straight below, obscurely curved-anastomosing near the edge, somewhat raised above (but impressed in the very middle), prominent beneath, reticulation obscure. Petiole 10–15 x 1–1.5mm, grooved above, sub-densely scaly. Outer bracts to 25 x 8mm, ovate, inner ones spathulate, all hairy on both sides, otherwise not or very laxly scaly, long-ciliate. Bracteoles to 20mm, sub-filiform, glabrous below, narrowly spathulate, hairy distally. Inflorescence a c.8-flowered umbel. Pedicels 10–12mm, thick, densely sub-stellately scaly. Calyx c.2.5mm in diameter, oblique, irregularly shortly and obtusely 5-lobed, scaly. Corolla trumpet-shaped, white; tube c.45 x 3–4 x 4–5mm, straight or slightly curved, sub-densely sub-stellately scaly outside, densely, shortly and patently white hairy in the proximal 1⁄3, gradually less hairy distally inside; lobes 10–12 x 8–10mm, elliptic-obovate to obovate-spathulate, spreading, laxly scaly outside, glabrous inside. Stamens unequal, c.55mm, exserted; filaments linear and densely patently hairy proximally, less hairy and finally glabrous distally; anthers c.3 x 0.8mm, oblong, base obtuse. Disc sub-densely short-hairy. Ovary elongate-conical, densely covered with almost circular scales, c.8 x 1.5mm, tapering distally; style scaly at the very base, glabrous otherwise, equalling the corolla tube in length; stigma narrowly shortly obconical. Fruit 40–45 x c.4mm, elongate-cylindrical, curved, shortly tapering at both ends, laxly scaly.
Papua New Guinea, Sattelberg Region, Morobe District: Ogeramnang; Mt Saruwaged; Wau Salamoa track; Tukwabat village, S of Lae.
In hill forest dominated by Castanopsis and in open grassland
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:182