Description

Shrub to 2m. Twigs 2–5mm in diameter, scaly but early glabrescent; internodes 2–10cm. Leaves 3–5 together in tight pseudowhorls. Blade 20–40 x 15–35mm, elliptic to broadly elliptic; apex acute; margin entire, narrowly revolute; base broadly tapering, slightly decurrent; at first densely covered on both sides with flattish, pale scales, glabrescent above at maturity, laxly to sub-densely scaly beneath. Scales flat, rounded to irregularly lobed, with a broad flange and small slightly impressed centre. Mid-vein narrowly impressed above, distinctly raised beneath throughout its length; lateral veins 4–10 per side, wide-spreading, straight before curving near the margin, indistinctly anastomosing, slightly impressed above and raised beneath, reticulation obscure. Petiole 8–13 x 1–1.5mm, grooved above, scaly. Flower buds to 25 x 8mm, narrowly ovoid, the bracts standing vertically or spreading, not appressed. Outer bracts ovate with a long subulate point, inner ones elliptic, narrowly acute, scaly along the central line outside and along the margins, glabrous inside. Bracteoles to 20 x 3mm, filiform to linear, glabrous. Inflorescence of 4–8 flowers in an open umbel, curving downwards. Pedicels 6–8 x c.1mm, laxly scaly, and hairy. Calyx obliquely disc-shaped, wavy, obtusely and shortly lobed, c.4mm in diameter, densely scaly outside. Corolla 30–40 x 12–25mm, obliquely tubular, red or pink; tube 25–35 x 4–6 x 8–15mm, distinctly curved, laxly to sub-densely scaly outside, glabrous inside; lobes 8–12 x 8–14mm, broadly obovate to sub-circular, sub-erect or spreading, overlapping 1⁄3–2⁄3. Stamens tightly clustered on the upper side of the mouth, not or only weakly exserted; filaments linear, very laxly hairy in the lower ½, glabrous distally, red; anthers 2–3.5 x 1–1.5mm, obovate to broadly oblong, purple. Disc prominent, shortly hairy at the upper margin. Ovary 4–5 x c.2mm, sub-cylindrical, densely white-hairy, and densely (but obscurely) scaly, gradually tapering distally; style slender, with some sparse hairs and scales at the base, becoming exserted; stigma to c.1.5mm in diameter.

Distribution

Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Wissel Lakes, Mt Carstensz and Oranje Mts.

Altitude

Habitat

Open places in the sub-alpine forest or in open alpine vegetation

Nomenclatural History

R. nubicolum Wernham (orthographic variant). R. acrocline Sleumer, Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 158. R. hatamense (non Becc.) Sleumer, Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 153, pro parte. R. culminicolum var. nubicolum (Wernham) Sleumer, Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 221.

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:215