Description

Shrub or small tree to 4m. Twigs 1.5–2.5mm in diameter, round, green, when young thinly covered in small flat scales; internodes 3–10cm. Leaves 4–6 together in tight pseudowhorls, with a few additional small ovate leaves which have very pronounced petioles for their size. Blade 32–65 x 35–60mm, broadly ovate to circular; apex obtusely pointed or rounded; margin entire, flat, with a narrow cartilaginous edge; base rounded to cordate; quickly glabrescent and smooth above, laxly to sub-densely scaly below. Scales very small, brown, sub-circular, only weakly lobed but with a pronounced central area, impressed in shallow pits. Mid-vein slightly raised but grooved proximally, becoming impressed, extending the full length of the leaf but becoming very narrow distally; beneath very slightly raised proximally but quickly becoming smooth or even slightly impressed distally; lateral veins 5–7 per side, spreading at 45°, straight or slightly curving, very slightly impressed above, indistinct below, reticulation obscure. Petiole green, 2 x 5mm, with small brown scales, weakly or not grooved above. Flower buds green, narrowly conical, the scales with subulate points. Inflorescence an open, loose, umbel of 2–6 flowers which are held horizontally or slightly hanging. Pedicels 12–17 x 2.5mm, usually conspicuously red in colour, scaly with small brown scales. Calyx a low circular or 5-angled disc. Corolla 70–80 x 70–80mm, pale-pink or white, without or just faintly scented; tube 35–50 x 7–12 x 10–18mm, pouched at the base and 5-angled in the lower ½, sparsely scaly outside and shortly hairy towards the base inside; lobes 30–40 x 22–33mm, overlapping to 1⁄5 of their length and bent back perpendicularly. Stamens in a group on the lower side of the corolla; filaments 60–65 x 0.75mm, pink, shortly hairy in the basal ½; anthers 3.5mm, brown. Ovary 8 x 3mm, purplish-red with silvery scales and very short, white hairs; style 35–56 x 2mm, shortly hairy and with a few scales in the lower ½, glabrous above; stigma pink, 5mm in diameter, circular. Fruit 30 x 6mm, splitting lengthwise from the apex. Seeds 4mm, without tails 0.8mm, the longest tail 1.6mm, crimped.

Distribution

Malaysia (Borneo), Sarawak, widespread. Sabah. Brunei. Indonesia, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi (W and C).

Altitude

Habitat

Frequently growing as an epiphyte on large trees in mossy forest but also on the ground in suitable open vegetation on mountain ridges and rocky outcrops

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:269