Description

Shrub. Twigs elongate, weak, rounded, laxly foliate, densely stellately scaly. Leaves opposite. Blade 35–70 x 5–9mm, very narrowly ovate or nearly linear; apex acute; margin entire; base broadly tapering, nearly rounded; scaly on both sides initially, glabrescent above, more persistently scaly beneath. Petiole 2–3mm. Inflorescence of solitary flowers. Pedicels to 5mm, densely stellately scaly. Calyx 2.5–3mm in diameter, disc-shaped, densely stellately scaly, very shortly 5-lobed. Corolla 27–33mm, tubular, bright pink-red to purplish, zygomorphic and slightly curved; tube densely stellately scaly outside, glabrous inside; lobed to c.1⁄5, lobes sub-circular, erecto-patent. Stamens to 25mm, very slender; filaments filiform, laxly hairy; anthers c.2mm, oval. Ovary c.6mm, oblong, densely stellately scaly; style c.6mm, slender, laxly hairy; stigma spherical, 6-lobed.

Distribution

Papua New Guinea, Schrader Mts, in mountain forest, epiphytic

Altitude

Habitat

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:92