Bot. Jahr. 1940. 71: 147.
WFO ID: wfo-0000405421
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333415-1
Verified by:
Shrub or tree to 3m. Twigs 4–5mm in diameter, smooth, rounded, green with a sparse covering of scales; internodes 2–10cm. Leaves in tight pseudowhorls of 3–6, variable in size within the pseudowhorl. Blade 60–100 x 35–70mm, elliptic, about twice as long as wide; apex rounded, or very obtuse to slightly retuse; margin smooth, with a narrow cartilaginous flat edge; base cordate or occasionally rounded; sparsely scaly but quickly glabrescent above, sparsely scaly beneath. Scales small, sub-circular or irregularly lobed with a broad marginal zone and small centre, slightly impressed. Mid-vein 5mm wide at the base, slightly raised both above and below, distinctly grooved on the upper side and quickly tapering within 10mm of the base, beyond which point it is hardly raised either above or below; lateral veins 5–9 per side, pinnate, spreading at 45°, straight or somewhat curved, distinct above, indistinct below; surface smooth, pale-green especially below but with the main vein prominently dark-red in at least the broad basal part, reticulation obscure. Petiole 1–2 x 4–5mm, indistinctly grooved above, laxly scaly. Flower buds (see p.327) narrowly conical in shape, green, the protective bracts with flat narrowly pointed, reflexed, green tips. Inflorescence a 12–25-flowered complete umbel. Pedicels 15–25 x 1.5mm, sparsely covered in silvery or pale-brown scales and spreading white hairs, often distinctively bright red. Flowers stiffly held erect to half-hanging. Calyx an irregular low ring. Corolla 35–70 x 20–25mm, pure white or sometimes lightly flushed pink especially on the tube, usually strongly and sweetly scented; tube 35–55 x 6–9 x 3–5mm, distinctly narrowed distally, glabrous outside but with sparse hairs inside; lobes 13 x 10mm, horizontal, or irregularly reflexed back against the tube, overlapping to c.½ and ‘crimped’. Stamens irregularly clustered at or below the mouth of the flower, not exserted; filaments slender, white, about as long as the corolla tube, shortly hairy proximally for 2–3mm; anthers 2 x 1mm, pale-brown. Disc slightly lobed, circular, green with erect white hairs. Ovary 9 x 2mm, cylindrical, slightly curved and gradually tapering distally, densely covered in silvery scales but also with erect, white hairs to c.halfway; stigma 1.5–2mm wide, irregularly 5-lobed, quickly becoming exserted to c.10mm from the mouth of the flower. Fruit 30–45 x 3–5mm, cylindrical but curved and narrowed to the persistent style and also ribbed longitudinally. Seeds 5–5.5mm, without tails c.1mm, the longest tail 2.5mm often crimped.
Malaysia (Borneo), Sabah.
Epiphytic and terrestrial, common on the trees and ridges on Mt Kinabalu, Crocker Range and Mt Lumarku
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:164