Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 93.
WFO ID: wfo-0000405491
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333202-1
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Shrub to 2.5m. Twigs c.2mm in diameter, rounded, sub-densely covered with fragile, brown, stellate scales, initially becoming glabrescent but then covered with numerous minute tubercles and rough to the touch, the older parts often whitish; internodes 4–10cm. Leaves 3–5 together in pseudowhorls. Blade 40–75 x 25–50mm, broadly elliptic, to nearly rounded; apex broadly tapering, obtuse or rounded; margin entire, slightly or not revolute; base broadly tapering or rounded; brown-scaly on both sides initially, the scales fragile, small, irregularly stellately divided, dendroid, each on a minute epidermal tubercle, very early glabrescent, the surface smooth above, finally glabrescent also beneath, but permanently rough with the numerous minute tubercles. Mid-vein raised and grooved above proximally, becoming very narrow and impressed distally, thick and obtusely prominent beneath; lateral veins 5–8 per side, rising at an acute angle, straight below, less conspicuous towards the margin, minutely impressed in fully mature leaves above, not or only slightly raised beneath, reticulation indistinct. Petiole 6–15 x c.2mm, rounded, scaly. Flower buds to 28 x 18mm, ovate, smooth, the apex broadly acute. Bracts 10–15 x 7–10mm; outer bracts ovate, obtuse, scaly in the middle outside, otherwise shortly papillate-hairy; inner ones to 30 x 15mm, elliptic to spathulate, densely and long-hairy on both sides. Bracteoles to 25 x c.1mm, linear, laxly hairy. Inflorescence a 5–8-flowered open umbel. Pedicels 5–12 x c.1mm, densely brown-stellate-scaly, sub-densely or laxly hairy at least below the calyx. Calyx 2–3mm in diameter, oblique, disc-shaped, small, scaly and shortly hairy outside, ciliate, very shortly 5-lobed. Corolla 40–50mm, narrowly funnel-shaped, regular, white or pink; tube c.35–40 x 3–4 x 6–8mm, very sparsely stellately scaly or glabrous outside, densely covered with long retrorse hairs inside, straight, gradually widened towards the mouth; lobes 12–18 x 7–12mm, irregular, obovate-spathulate. Stamens exserted to 6–9mm; filaments linear, long hairy below, glabrous and filiform distally; anthers 3.5–4 x c.1mm, elongate-oblong, the base with two minute points. Disc low, hairy. Ovary 6–8 x 2.5–3mm, cylindrical, gradually tapering distally, densely covered with appressed, stiff, yellow, hairs which cover the scales; style nearly as long as the stamens, thick proximally, densely patently hairy and laxly scaly in the proximal ¾, becoming less densely hairy and finally glabrous distally; stigma globose.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Wissel Lakes region.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:96