Description

Epiphytic shrub. Twigs rounded, brown, densely covered with dark brown scales. Leaves in tight pseudowhorls; up to 12cm apart. Blade 70–150 x 15–35mm, narrowly elliptic; apex acuminate with a long, slender acute apex; margin entire, narrowly recurved when dry; base tapering; glabrescent above, densely and persistently scaly below, the scales touching and slightly overlapping. Scales variable in size, brown, with broad striate flanges and large brown centres, the largest with conspicuously very dark centres. Mid-vein impressed above, prominent beneath; lateral veins 5–6 per side, distant, ascending, slightly impressed above and raised beneath, reticulation obscure. Petiole 10–14 x 2mm, densely scaly. Bracts to 10–17mm, ovate to elliptic-ovate, sub-acute, glabrous outside, ciliate on the margins. Bracteoles filiform. Inflorescence in c.12-flowered umbels, the flowers hanging. Pedicels 10–20mm, patently short-hairy, not scaly (but described only in fruit). Calyx 3mm in diameter, disc-like, obscurely and obtusely lobed with shortly ciliate lobes. Corolla 40–45mm, tubular, red; tube 35 x 6–7 x 6–7mm, cylindrical, slightly curved, glabrous outside, hairy inside along the 5 main veins; lobes 8–10 x 6–8mm, broadly obovate to nearly rounded. Stamens slightly unequal, as long as the corolla or slightly exserted; filaments filiform, densely brown-hairy in the proximal 1⁄3; anthers 3.5mm, oblong, (in the Negros specimen only 2mm). Disc glabrous. Ovary narrowly cylindrical, densely scaly; style elongated, filiform, densely scaly in the proximal ½, glabrous distally, nearly as long as the corolla; stigma conical. Fruit 4–8 x 3–4mm, cylindrical, slightly curved, densely brown-scaly. Seeds 6–7mm, without tails 1mm, the longest tail 3.5mm.

Distribution

Philippines, Mindanao, near Lake Lanao, 800m; Catanduanes, Mt Mariguidon, 270m; S Negros, Dumaguete, Cuernos Mts.

Rhododendron nortoniae Merr.

Description

Distribution

Altitude

Habitat

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References