Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 188.
WFO ID: wfo-0000405373
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333297-1
Verified by:
Shrub, c.1.8m. Twigs 1.5–3mm in diameter, rounded, at first densely reddish-stellate-scaly, quickly glabrescent and smooth; internodes 3–7cm. Leaves 3–5 together in pseudowhorls. Blade 35–65 x 20–40mm, broadly elliptic, sometimes obovate-elliptic or obovate; apex broadly tapering, obtuse to rounded; margin slightly revolute proximally or quite flat; base rounded or broadly tapering; glabrescent above, sub-persistently densely reddish-scaly beneath. Scales small, deeply stellately lobed in the marginal zone; centre minute, dark and very slightly impressed. Mid-vein slightly impressed above, markedly prominent proximally beneath; lateral veins 6–8 per side, irregular, spreading, anastomosing before the margin, somewhat impressed or raised above, prominent beneath, reticulation distinct. Petiole 4–7 x 1–1.5mm, flattened and grooved above, scaly. Bracts to 10 x 8mm, ovate to obovate, obtuse, glabrous outside, very shortly fringed with scales. Bracteoles to 12 x 0.5–1.5mm, linear below, sub-spathulate distally. Inflorescence 1–4-flowered. Pedicels 15–23 x c.0.6mm, densely reddish-stellate-scaly. Calyx obliquely disc-shaped, irregularly 5-toothed, with triangular sub-acute teeth 0.5–3mm, scaly at the base outside, spreading. Corolla 40–45mm, tubular below, sub-oblique; tube c.30 x 4–5 x 7–8mm, curved, lobed at the base, laxly stellate-scaly outside, laxly and long patent-hairy inside; lobes 9–13 x 9–13mm, sub-circular. Stamens as long as the corolla tube; filaments linear, laxly patently long-hairy in the proximal 2⁄3; anthers 2.5 x c.1.2mm, sub-obovoid obtuse at the base. Disc prominent, sparsely hairy on the upper margin. Ovary 5–6 x 2–2.5mm, sub-cylindrical, abruptly narrowed distally, densely stellate-scaly, without hairs; style as long as the stamens, laxly stellate-scaly in the proximal 1⁄3, glabrous distally; stigma thick-rounded.
Papua New Guinea, Central District, Mt Obree, growing in profusion on brink of precipitous cliffs at Howers Lake
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:299