Reinwardtia 1969. 5: 87.
WFO ID: wfo-0000405506
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333224-1
Verified by:
Shrub. Twigs 5–7mm in diameter, rounded or obtusely angular at the upper internodes, tips very early glabrescent and rough; internodes 4–13cm. Leaves spirally arranged and densely aggregated together in the upper 1⁄3 of the upper 3–4 internodes, or 3–5 together in pseudowhorls. Blade 30–75 x 16–50mm, broadly elliptic; apex broadly tapering, obtuse, sometimes apiculate; margin revolute in dry specimens; base slightly cordate, brown stellate-scaly on both sides when young, fragile and quickly falling above, more slowly beneath, eventually glabrescent on both sides but remaining rough to the touch. Scales minute, sub-sessile, each on top of a paler permanent epidermal tubercle. Mid-vein above: impressed proximally, flat in its distal part above; beneath very prominent proximally, less so apically; lateral veins 8–10 per side, spreading, faintly raised on both sides, disappearing towards the margin, often inconspicuous beneath. Petiole 2–4 x 1.5–2.5mm. Bracts to 15 x 8mm, membranous, ovate-elliptic to obovate, obtuse, the outer ones scaly outside, the inner ones glabrous. Bracteoles to 15mm, linear, glabrous. Inflorescence a 3–8-flowered open umbel. Pedicels c.20 x 1mm, densely brown-stellate-scaly. Calyx disc-shaped, reflexed, densely scaly outside, the lobes sub-obtuse, 1–1.5mm, not ciliate. Corolla 45–55mm, tubular, somewhat curved and zygomorphic, pink; tube 33–40 x 5–6 x 9–10mm, sub-densely stellate-scaly outside, laxly hairy inside; lobes 10–15 x 10–13mm, spreading, broadly obovate. Stamens c.10mm, unequal, exserted from the tube; filaments linear below, sub-densely hairy at the base, laxly so in the middle, glabrous and filiform distally; anthers 3–3.5 x 1.3mm, obovate-oblong, obtuse at the base. Disc glabrous below, hairy at the upper margin. Ovary 6–8 x c.3mm, ovoid-conical, densely hairy and stellately scaly, abruptly contracted distally; style densely patently hairy and laxly scaly in the proximal ½, glabrous distally, as long as the stamens or slightly exceeding them; stigma thick, oblique, globose, distinctly 5-lobed.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Lake Habbema
Common in more open mossy thickets on peat ridges, associated with R. haematophthalmum.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:98