Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 157.
WFO ID: wfo-0000405502
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333230-1
Verified by:
Shrub to 60cm; branches spreading. Twigs 1–1.5mm in diameter, rounded, densely covered with sub-stellate, shortly stalked scales at first, becoming glabrescent and distinctly warty and rough to the touch; internodes 2–6cm. Leaves 4–5 together in pseudowhorls. Blade 20–35 x 10–21mm, elliptic or obovate-elliptic, rarely broadly obovate; apex broadly tapering, or rarely almost rounded, the extreme tip apiculate with a short, thickened gland; margin slightly revolute; base tapering; scaly on both sides, at first, becoming glabrescent above, persistently, sub-densely scaly beneath. Scales angular or obtusely lobed in the narrow marginal zone; centre large, thick, impressed, becoming blackish. Mid-vein slightly impressed above in its proximal part, raised beneath; lateral veins sub-inconspicuous. Petiole 1–5mm, flattened, scaly. Bracts to 12 x 5mm, ovate-acuminate, apiculate subulate, membranous, scaly at the tips outside, glabrous elsewhere, margin with fragile scales. Bracteoles c.8mm, filiform, glabrous. Flowers solitary. Pedicels c.10mm, slender, very densely reddish-brown-stellate-scaly, not hairy at all. Calyx c.2.5mm in diameter, oblique, disc-shaped, scaly outside, very shortly obtusely 5-lobed. Corolla 23–27mm, tubular, fleshy, white with a pink mouth; tube c.20 x 6–7 x 7–9mm, cylindrical, slightly curved, sub-densely sub-stellate-scaly outside, glabrous inside; lobes 6–7 x 6–7mm, broadly obovate or sub-circular, glabrous. Stamens reaching just below the mouth; filaments flattened and linear, glabrous; anthers 2.5 x 1mm, sub-obovate-oblong, cells often contracted at the base into a short apiculus. Disc prominent, shortly hairy at the upper margin, glabrous elsewhere. Ovary c.5 x 2mm, sub-cylindrical, densely, very shortly greyish hairy and sub-stellately scaly, gradually tapering distally; style slender, patently hairy in the proximal ½, glabrous distally, equalling the corolla in length; stigma club-shaped. Fruit (immature) 20 x 3mm, fusiform, densely shortly hairy and laxly scaly.
Papua New Guinea, Mt Saruwaged and Rawlinson Range.
Epiphytic in mossy forest and forest margins
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:220