Nova Guinea 1909. 8: 187.
WFO ID: wfo-0000400173
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333130-1
Verified by:
Shrub to 2m. Twigs c.1.5mm in diameter, rounded, slender, few-branched, at first very densely covered with brown, stellate scales, glabrescent below; internodes 2–6cm. Leaves 3–6 together in pseudowhorls. Blade 50–100 x 4–7mm, linear, sub-sessile, straight; apex gradually tapering, sub-acute; margin very slightly or not revolute; base shortly tapering; initially scaly on both sides, silvery, early glabrescent and rough above, brown and more persistent beneath. Scales with the marginal zone stellately divided, dendroid, with a small centre, each on top of a minute epidermal persistent tubercle. Mid-vein strongly impressed above, prominent beneath, lateral veins not visible. Petiole 3–4 x 2mm, not or only very slightly grooved in the distal part, densely scaly. Flower buds to 15 x 6mm, narrowly ovoid with the points of the bracts erect or slightly spreading. Bracts to 15 x 6mm; the outer ovate, subulate-acuminate, stellate-scaly outside mainly at the apex and fringed with stalked scales. Bracteoles 10–15mm, linear, laxly scaly. Flowers solitary or mostly in twos, rarely 3 or 4, hanging. Pedicels 9–12 x c.1mm, very slender, densely scaly. Calyx c.2mm in diameter, cup-shaped, glabrescent outside, with obscure teeth. Corolla 25–27 x c.12mm, zygomorphic, membranous, pale purple, without scent, glabrous in and outside (see note below); tube 15–18 x 5 x 6mm, cylindrical, curved; lobes 6–8 x 5–7mm, spreading, obovate-spathulate to sub-circular. Stamens 25–28mm; filaments linear below, filiform distally, glabrous; anthers 1.5 x 1mm, broadly oblong. Disc finely shortly hairy on the upper margin. Ovary c.3–4 x 1–2mm, elongate-conical, very densely brown-stellate-scaly, gradually tapering distally; style 15–20mm, scaly in the proximal ½–1⁄3, sometimes with a few short hairs in the middle, glabrous distally; stigma shortly obconical. Fruit 22 x 3mm, fusiform, densely brown scaly.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Hellwig Mts; Orion Mts; Star Mts, Sibil R. Valley; Mt Jaya.
Epiphytic or terrestrial on poor clayey soil, disturbed roadside shrubberies
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:95