In K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. 1905. 338.
WFO ID: wfo-0000405359
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333306-1
Verified by:
Shrub to 1.5m. Twigs rounded, glabrous; internodes 6–10cm. Leaves spiral or in loose pseudowhorls, crowded apically, spreading. Blade 130–170 x 60–80mm, elliptic; apex obtuse; margin entire, flat; base broadly tapering to rounded, glabrescent above at maturity, densely scaly beneath. Scales small, irregularly stellately lobed in the marginal zone; centre not or very slightly impressed, fragile, leaving blackish points beneath. Mid-vein weakly raised above in the proximal ½, then flat; strongly raised below almost to the apex; lateral veins 8–9 per side, slender, straight or slightly curved, obscurely anastomosing, slightly raised on both sides when dry, reticulation obscure. Petiole 15–20 x 2–3mm, semi-rounded, without a groove, scaly. Inflorescence 7–12-flowered in an open umbel. Pedicels 12–20 x 3–4mm, densely covered with brown scales, which are deeply divided to, or nearly to, the small centre, sometimes laxly hairy distally. Calyx 6–7mm in diameter, disc-shaped, oblique, shallowly 5-lobed and wavy, stellate-scaly outside, glabrous inside. Corolla 150–170mm, tubular-funnel-shaped, snow white, very fragrant; tube 90–120 x 10–11 x 22–28mm, cylindrical, 5-lobed at the base, laxly scaly to glabrescent outside, densely hairy and laxly scaly inside; lobes 50–70 x 35–50mm, obliquely and broadly obovate, rounded at the apex, spreading, margin wavy. Stamens strongly exserted; filaments 110–135mm, linear, flat, gradually tapering and finally filiform distally, densely hairy, the hairs denser, and retrorse at the margin, glabrescent in the distal 1⁄3; anthers 16–18 x 1.8mm, with elongate-oblong cells, minutely apiculate at the base. Disc lobed, with tufts of short hairs. Ovary c.25 x 7–9mm, cylindrical, very densely covered with yellowish, spreading hairs, which cover stellate scales, gradually tapering distally; style c.125 x 3.5mm, cylindrical, covered with yellow, sub-patent hairs and stellate scales for the proximal c.70mm, becoming almost exclusively scaly distally and ultimately glabrous for 20mm; stigma broadly and shortly obconical, 5-lobed.
Papua New Guinea, New Guinea (E), Bismarck Mts; Kani Mts (Madang Province). Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Mt Jaya (Carstensz).
Epiphytic in rain forest on tall trees.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:315