Blumea 1963. 12: 111.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400159
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333110-1
Verified by:
Tree or shrub to 7m. Twigs 5–8mm in diameter, rounded, at first with a thick covering of reddish-brown stellate scales, quickly glabrescent; internodes 5–11cm. Leaves 5–7 together in well-marked pseudowhorls additionally with several very reduced leaves. Blade 70–150 x 40–90mm, elliptic or broadly elliptic; apex gradually broadly tapering or sub-acuminate, the extreme tip obtuse; margin entire and flat; base broadly tapering to rounded, or shortly cordate, sometimes ‘pinched’ into a vertical undulation; when young, densely scaly, at first the scales white but they quickly turn brown before falling off; becoming glabrescent above and often beneath also. Scales sub-dendroid, narrowly stellately divided to the minute centre, fragile, leaving no pits. Mid-vein c.2mm wide proximally, gradually narrower and slightly impressed distally; lateral veins 9–11 per side, slightly curved, often deeply forked, anastomosing before the margin, faintly though even distinctly impressed above, hardly raised or inconspicuous beneath, reticulation obscure. Petiole 20–40 x 4–5mm, grooved above, green but densely brown scaly. Flower buds to 16 x 15mm, spherical, or top-shaped, smooth with all except the outermost bracts fully appressed, green or pale brown. Outermost bracts subulate, densely brown scaly, other bracts with only a few scales outside, fringed with long-stalked brown scales along the margins, glabrous inside, sub-circular, rounded at the apex but often splitting to become emarginate. Bracteoles c.20mm, linear to filiform, glabrous. Inflorescence of 25–30 horizontal to semi-erect flowers in a full umbel. Pedicels 60–80 x 1.5–2mm, orange-red, scaly. Flowers brilliant pink, or orange with a yellow centre, very strongly scented. Calyx 4–5mm in diameter, oblique, circular, sometimes shortly and obtusely 5-lobed. Corolla 30–35 x 40–48mm; tube 18–20 x 5–7 x 13–20mm, funnel-shaped, strongly angled and slightly grooved proximally, with transparent scales outside and irregular hairs in the proximal ½ inside; lobes 18–20 x 15–18mm, broadly obovate-spathulate, slightly retuse, with scales in the central part outside, overlapping to c.½, spreading horizontally. Stamens irregularly arranged in two groups on either side of the flower; filaments 25mm, sub-densely to laxly hairy in the proximal 1⁄3, glabrous distally, yellow at the base, passing through pink to red distally; anthers 2.7–3 x c.1.2mm, pale-brown. Disc deeply lobed, hairy between the glabrous lobes. Ovary 5–6 x 3–4mm, green, with distally pointing hairs which cover scales; style green and hairy in the proximal 2⁄3, glabrous and pinkish-brown distally, c.12mm; stigma pinkish-brown, c.2mm in diameter. Fruit 21–28 x 7–9mm, fusiform, opening by strong valves, which curve back after the outer coat has peeled off. Seeds 3mm, without tails 1mm, the longest tail 1mm.
Malaysia (Borneo), Sabah, Mt Trus Madi, Mt Kinabalu: Mesilau East R. Basin, Meligan Range. Sarawak, possibly from Mt Murud and Mt Mulu although there is some doubt about the identity of plants from these mountains.
Occurring in dense mossy forest, hanging from cliffs and on ridges
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:275