Description

Shrub to 2.5m. Twigs 4–6mm in diameter, round, green, laxly scaly; internodes 4–10cm. Leaves 3–5 together in loose pseudowhorls. Blade 80–160 x 35–60mm, elliptic; apex shortly acuminate, narrowly to broadly acute, rarely obtuse; margin entire, flat or weakly revolute; base narrowly tapering, sometimes a little decurrent; minutely silvery scaly above at first, the scales leaving small impressed pits, laxly to sub-densely and more persistently scaly beneath. Scales irregularly lobed in the marginal zone; centre dark, shallowly impressed. Mid-vein strongly raised above proximally, gradually tapering distally becoming smooth or even slightly impressed in the distal ½, beneath broadly and shallowly raised; lateral veins 8–10 per side, curved-spreading and obscurely interarching at some distance from the margin, slightly prominent on both sides or obscure, reticulation obscure, or faintly visible beneath only. Petiole 10–25 x 3–4mm, without a groove, laxly, minutely scaly. Flower buds to 35 x 20mm, ovoid, acuminate. Bracts to 25 x 13mm, outer bracts ovate-acuminate, sub-acute, initially laxly scaly outside, but quickly glabrescent, inner ones ovate-elliptic, obtuse, glabrous. Bracteoles to 20 x 2mm, linear proximally, sub-spathulate distally, glabrous. Inflorescence 5–12-flowered, a complete or slightly open umbel. Pedicels 20–45 x c.1mm, laxly scaly, glabrescent. Calyx 3–4mm in diameter, oblique, disc-shaped or rim-like, obscurely lobed or wavy, with a few scales outside. Corolla 30–35 x 30–35mm, funnel-shaped, yellow often flushed with orange or red; tube c.15 x 5–6 x 10–15mm, pouched at the base, glabrous inside and out; lobes 13–18 x 10–15mm, spreading, broadly elliptic-obovate. Stamens 20–25mm, exserted to c.10mm, unequal, irregularly arranged around the flower; filaments linear, glabrous; anthers 3–3.5 x 1–1.3mm, oblong, a little curved, base obtuse. Disc prominent, glabrous. Ovary 5–6 x 2–2.5mm, ovoid-conical, initially with some fragile sub-stellate scales, or glabrous, often minutely warty, abruptly contracted distally; style 10–15mm, slender, glabrous; stigma 2–3mm in diameter, knob-like, thickly 5-lobed. Fruit c.30 x 6mm, fusiform, somewhat oblique and curved, glabrous.

Distribution

Malaysia (Peninsula), Main Range from Perak to Selangor, and in the Taiping Hills.

Altitude

Habitat

Epiphytic on tall trees, especially those overhanging rivers, also terrestrial on rocks by streams, occasionally on wooded hillsides or swamps, locally common.

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:242