Blumea 1961. 11: 115.
WFO ID: wfo-0000405430
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333402-1
Verified by:
Erect, much-branched shrub to 1.5m. Twigs 1.5–2mm, the tips densely covered with brown stellate scales, older parts glabrescent; internodes 1.5–7cm. Leaves 4–5 together in pseudowhorls. Blade 20–45 x 3–8mm, sub-linear, to narrowly elliptic; apex sub-acute; margin entire, strongly revolute; base tapering; very densely covered with brown stellate scales, glabrescent and remaining rough to the touch above at maturity, more persistently scaly beneath. Scales overlapping, the marginal area wide, deeply and irregularly stellately divided into narrow filiform lobes; centre large, dark brown, tapering downwards into a short stem, or foot, each scale on top of a minute, persistent epidermal tubercle. Mid-vein hardly visible above, obtuse and strongly prominent beneath; lateral veins inconspicuous. Petiole 4–6 x c.1mm, very densely scaly. Flower buds ovoid-oblong, c.10mm. Bracts to 10 x 5mm, outer bracts broadly subulate, inner ones ovate, narrowed into an acumen of 2–3mm, slightly keeled and scaly in the upper part outside, innermost ones ovate-oblong, obtuse, glabrous but all densely fringed with scales. Bracteoles to 10mm, filiform, laxly scaly with fragile scales. Inflorescence of 2–3 flowers, rarely solitary. Pedicels 12–16 x 0.7–1mm, entirely covered with golden stellate scales. Calyx c.2.5mm in diameter, disc-shaped, shortly 5-lobed, or with one or two lobes elongated up to 8mm, densely scaly outside. Corolla tubular below, gradually sub-campanulate, expanded upwards, curved, zygomorphic, deep pink; tube 20–32 x 5–6 x 7–9mm, sub-densely covered with golden stellate scales and white hairs outside; lobes 7–12 x 6–8mm, spreading, broadly spathulate or obovate, with scales at the base outside. Stamens exserted from the tube to c.7mm, unequal; filaments linear, 1mm wide below, 0.5mm wide in the upper part, glabrous; anthers 2–2.5 x 1.5mm, obovate-oblong. Disc slightly prominent, glabrous. Ovary c.5 x 2.5mm, sub-cylindrical, densely covered with deeply stellately divided golden scales, but no hairs, gradually narrowed distally; style covered with dense or more laxly distributed scales in the proximal ¾, glabrous distally; stigma shortly 5-lobed. Fruit 20–25 x 4mm, sub-cylindrical, slightly curved, densely stellate-scaly, not hairy, splitting into 5 twisted and sub-reflexed valves. Seeds very narrow, almost filiform, 4mm, long-tailed at both ends.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Star Mts, Mt Antares. Papua New Guinea, West Sepik District, Star Mts, Sirius Range.
Reported to be common in semi-alpine shrub vegetation, on Mt Antares.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:101