Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 143.
Verified by:
Weak shrub to 30cm. Twigs to 1.5mm in diameter, at first sub-densely covered with star-shaped and shortly stalked, fragile scales, becoming glabrescent but remaining minutely warty near the tips; internodes 1–4cm. Leaves 3–5 together in pseudowhorls. Blade 35–80 x 1.5–3mm, linear; apex acute or nearly so; margin slightly revolute; base narrowly tapering; glabrescent above, more persistently scaly beneath. Scales the marginal zone angular or obtusely lobed; centre much darker and hardly impressed. Mid-vein distinctly impressed above, prominent beneath, red; lateral veins obscure. Petiole 2–4 x 0.5mm, rounded, red, much darker than the lamina in dry specimens. Bracts to 20 x 5mm; outer bracts subulate, inner ones, ovate-subulate, innermost ones ovate, abruptly subulate-acuminate in the upper ½ and acute, glabrous outside, reddish. Inflorescence 1–3-flowered. Pedicels 5–7mm, slender, densely stellate-scaly. Calyx c.2mm in diameter, obliquely disc-shaped, margin membranaceous, shortly 5-lobed, scaly outside. Corolla c.15mm, probably red; tube c.10 x 2–3 x 3–4mm, cylindrical, glabrous inside and out; lobes c.4 x 4mm, broadly obovate-sub-circular. Stamens 14–16mm; filaments filiform, glabrous; anthers sub-globose, c.1.5mm in diameter. Disc prominent, glabrous. Ovary c.3 x 1.3mm, sub-cylindrical, densely stellately scaly, abruptly contracted distally; style 5–6mm, slender, glabrous; stigma club-shaped. Fruit c.15 x 4mm, valves reflexed and twisted. Seeds narrow, tailed at both ends, 2–3mm.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Doormantop.
Epiphytic on ridge
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:294