Description

Shrub to 2m, with swollen roots and spreading branches. Twigs 1–2mm in diameter, laxly scaly and patently short hairy; internodes 1.5–3cm. Leaves 3–6 together in well-marked pseudowhorls at the upper 2–3 nodes. Blade 12–32 x 10–25mm, obovate to obovate-elliptic, broadly elliptic to almost circular; apex rounded, retuse, or broadly tapering, sometimes mucronate; margin entire, flat or a little recurved especially near the base, somewhat cartilaginous; base broadly tapering to the petiole, dark to medium green and a little shining above, paler and dull beneath, initially scaly on both sides, glabrescent above with age, more persistently and sub-densely scaly beneath. Scales circular or irregularly lobed, marginal zone relatively broad; centre impressed. Mid-vein impressed above in the proximal 2⁄3; broad and obtusely prominent proximally beneath, narrower and smooth or even a little impressed distally; lateral veins 3–4 per side, arising at 45° and curving upwards, smooth and mostly inconspicuous. Petiole 1–2 x 1–2mm, flat and grooved above, laxly short-hairy and scaly, sometimes hardly distinct from the blade. Flower buds to 9 x 5mm, ellipsoid to somewhat obovoid, pale brown and often flushed with pink or red. Bracts fully appressed, minutely appressed hairy outside and with a few scales near the apex, fringed with scales along the margins, outermost bracts minutely appressed hairy inside also, but the inner bracts glabrous inside. Outermost bracts triangular, passing through ovoid to the innermost which are spathulate with the marginal scales on long stalks. Bracteoles to 10mm, filiform, sparsely scaly. Inflorescence solitary or occasionally paired flowers, which are half-hanging to fully pendent. Pedicels 10–15 x c.1mm, pink, densely short-hairy and stellately scaly. Calyx c.2.5mm in diameter, obliquely cup-shaped, shortly obtusely 5-lobed, scaly and with a few simple white hairs. Corolla 20–22 x 15–19mm, broadly tubular or tubular campanulate, deep pink or red; tube 16–18 x 11–12 x 6–7mm, straight, pouched at the base and with some faint longitudinal lines, sparsely scaly and hairy outside, glabrous inside; lobes 4–5 x 8–9mm, broadly obovate, overlapping to 2⁄3, reflexed and becoming revolute. Stamens at first tightly clustered in the centre of the mouth, later spreading regularly around the perimeter; filaments pale pink, dimorphic alternately long and short, white-hairy throughout; anthers c.2 x 1mm, brown, hairy at the back. Disc low, glabrous. Ovary 3–4 x 2–2.5mm, ovoid-conical, silvery scaly and densely covered in semi-erect white hairs; style straight, 3–8mm, pale green or pink, glabrous or with a few hairs at the base; stigma green. Fruit 10–18 x c.4mm, sub-cylindrical, pink or green, hairy and scaly, shedding an outer layer and the valves then splitting and curving back, sometimes twisting, the placentae tending to break away distally in an irregular manner. Seeds 3.5mm, without tails c.1mm, the longest tail to 2mm.

Distribution

Malaysia (Peninsula), Main Range from Mt Kerbau to Mt Batu Puteh and also on Mt Tahan.

Altitude

Habitat

Epiphytic or terrestrial in mossy forest and on peaty soil, often common

Nomenclatural History

R. elegans Ridl., J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 1908. 38: 314. R. calocodon Ridl., J. Fed. Mal. St. Mus. 1914. 5: 38. R. pauciflorum var. calocodon (Ridl.) Sleumer, Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 156.

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:192