Bot. Jahr. 1940. 71: 146.
WFO ID: wfo-0001420139
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:50906490-1
Verified by:
Shrub to 1.5m. Twigs 1.5–2.5mm in diameter, sparsely scaly to almost glabrous; internodes 2–10cm. Leaves 3–5 together in tight pseudowhorls. Blade 56–80 x 7–14mm, narrowly elliptic to almost linear; apex acute; margin entire, slightly revolute in the proximal ½; base narrowly tapering; glabrescent above, laxly scaly beneath. Scales small, deeply, irregularly and broadly lobed in the marginal zone; centre minute, slightly or not impressed. Mid-vein slightly impressed above in the proximal ½, very slightly raised below throughout its length; lateral veins 4–6 per side, diverging at an acute angle, the whole leaf smooth with obscure reticulation when fresh, becoming more prominent when dry. Petiole 1–2 x c.2.5mm, indistinctly grooved above and with a few pale brown scales. Flower buds c.25 x 15mm, narrowly ovoid, acute. Bracts to 28 x 10mm, translucent red or pink, ovate, long-acuminate, the apex tapering to a 2–3mm long acute point, glabrous outside. Bracteoles to 15mm, subulate, glabrous. Inflorescence an irregular open umbel of 2–5 flowers which are semi-erect to half-hanging. Pedicels 10–13 x 1.5–1.6mm, laxly scaly and sparsely covered in spreading white hairs. Calyx a low ring, with sparse scales. Corolla 30–35 x 25mm, funnel-shaped, lobed to halfway, glossy orange or red; tube 16–17 x 6–8 x 11–14mm, straight, glabrous inside and out; lobes 12–15 x 10–12mm, sub-erect, strongly overlapping for most of their length, obovate-sub-spathulate. Stamens c.20mm, arranged regularly all round the mouth, not exserted; filaments linear, dilated and laxly hairy in the lower ¼, glabrous and narrower distally; anthers 4.5 x 1.25mm, elongate-oblong, each cell shortly pointed at the base. Disc prominent, glabrous. Ovary 7 x 3mm, conical, densely white-hairy and with some small brown scales; style 8mm, glabrous; stigma 1.5mm in diameter. Fruit 10 x 6mm, ovoid- cylindrical, densely hairy and scaly.
Malaysia (Borneo), Sabah, Mt Kinabalu (Kinataki R., Mesilau R., Marai Parai Spur); Mt Lotung. The record from Bt Raja in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) (Sleumer 1966) is now referable to R. exuberans.
Mostly terrestrial, rarely epiphytic, in mossy forest or open, sunny landslides, not common.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:263