Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 74.
WFO ID: wfo-0000405497
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333219-1
Verified by:
Low shrub to 40cm. Twigs c.1.5mm in diameter, rounded, the tips densely stellate-scaly and rough; internodes 1–4cm. Leaves 4–6 together in pseudowhorls at the upper 2–3 nodes. Blade 10–14 x 4–7mm, narrowly ovate; apex shortly acuminate, sub-acute; margin very strongly revolute, often to the mid-vein when dry; base truncate-rounded; densely brown-scaly on both sides, initially early glabrescent and rough above, scaly for longer beneath. Scales irregularly and deeply stellately divided, the minute centre extended downwards into a stem-like foot, each scale on top of a thick persistent epidermal tubercle. Mid-vein very slightly impressed above, obscure beneath as are the lateral veins. Petiole 0.5–1mm, thick and scaly. Bracts to 10 x 5mm, ovate-subulate, outer scaly outside; inner ones narrowly ovate-acuminate, with fragile, marginal scales, whose bases give a ciliate appearance to the margin when the scales have gone, glabrous otherwise, on both sides. Bracteoles c.10mm, filiform, laxly long-hairy and scaly. Inflorescence of solitary or paired flowers. Pedicels 12–20 x c.1mm, very densely brown-stellate-scaly. Calyx 3–4mm in diameter, obliquely disc-shaped, densely brown-stellate-scaly, the lobes obtuse, c.1mm. Corolla 15–22mm, tubular-funnel-shaped, bright pink; tube 9–14 x 3–4 x 5–6mm, densely stellately scaly outside, glabrous inside; lobes sub-spathulate-circular, wrinkled, 7–9mm in diameter, laxly scaly outside from the base to the middle, otherwise glabrous. Stamens unequal, hardly exserted from the mouth; filaments linear, slightly dilated above the base, glabrous; anthers c.1.3mm, oblong-elliptic. Disc low, glabrous. Ovary c.5 x 3mm, ovoid-conical, densely stellately scaly, the apex obtuse or abrupt distally; style c.1.5 x 0.4–0.5mm, columnar, glabrous; stigma thick-obconical, slightly 5-lobed. Fruit c.8 x 4mm, ovoid-ellipsoid, densely stellate-scaly, the style persistent and the stigma distinctly 5-lobed.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Lake Habbema.
Restricted to crevices and sandy niches on sterile limestone slopes.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:97