Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 186.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400323
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333027-1
Verified by:
Shrub to 2m. Twigs 4–6mm in diameter, rounded, or weakly 4-angled, with conspicuous, spherical lateral buds, laxly scaly at first, glabrescent and whitish later; internodes 3–6cm. Leaves spiral or c.3 together in loose pseudowhorls. Blade 40–80 x 25–45mm, obovate; apex obtuse or rounded, sometimes slightly emarginate; margin narrowly cartilaginous, flat, sub-serrulate-crenulate; base tapering; glabrescent above at maturity, sub-densely scaly below. Scales small, rounded, large, marginal zone variously angular or lobed; centre minute and distinctly impressed. Mid-vein narrowly impressed above, thick, flattened and obtusely prominent beneath; lateral veins 6–8 per side, lower two from near the base, the others at an angle of c.45°, all high-ascending and curved-anastomosing before the margin, slightly impressed above and raised beneath, reticulation inconspicuous. Petiole 3–6 x 2.5–3.5mm, grooved above, scaly. Bracts to 18 x 13mm, ovate, laxly scaly outside, apices obtuse or rounded; inner bracts obovate-spathulate, to 25 x 10mm. Bracteoles to 30mm, linear, glabrous. Inflorescence 3–9-flowered open umbels. Pedicels 9–16 x c.1mm, densely scaly, without hairs. Calyx c.5mm in diameter, disc-shaped, scaly outside. Corolla 45–70mm, half-hanging, tubular or narrowly funnel-shaped, greenish-yellow to light yellow; tube 30–45 x 6–10 x 10–12mm, straight, fleshy, glabrous inside and out, sulcate at the base; lobes c.15 x 15mm, sub-circular, erect to half-spreading. Stamens unequal, not exserted; filaments glabrous, linear; anthers 2.5–4 x 1.5–2.5mm, brown, broadly obovoid-cordate, distinctly narrow towards the base and ending in a small basal appendage. Disc prominent, glabrous. Ovary c.6 x 3.5–4mm, ovoid-cylindrical, densely covered with reddish-brown scales, abruptly contracted distally; style c.30mm, sub-densely scaly at the base, glabrous distally; stigma globose, shortly 5-lobed. Fruit 20–25 x 8–9mm, obliquely obovoid-cylindrical, scaly.
Papua New Guinea, Madang District, Finisterre Mts; Morobe District, Saruwaket Mts, Mt Enggan, Rawlinson Mts.
In open sub-alpine forest often in limestone areas
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:295