Description

Much-branched shrub to 3m. Twigs 1.5–3mm in diameter, rounded, often red, at first sub-densely covered with flat, sub-stellate scales, becoming glabrescent; internodes 2–8.5cm. Leaves 5–7 together in pseudowhorls, unequal. Blade 25–80 x 15–40mm, obovate or obovate-elliptic; apex obtuse or rounded, often emarginate; margin flat, or weakly and narrowly recurved, base tapering and a little decurrent, glabrescent above at maturity, sub-densely and persistently scaly beneath. Scales small, marginal zone irregularly lobed; centre dark and impressed. Mid-vein narrowly impressed above, obtusely prominent proximally beneath; lateral veins 4–6 per side, spreading, distinctly impressed above and raised beneath, often inconspicuous on both sides, reticulation obscure. Petiole 4–10 x c.1.5mm, red, somewhat flattened, grooved above, densely scaly. Flower buds to 8 x 5mm, ovoid; outer bracts sub-circular, inner ones ovate to oblong-ovate, obtuse to acute, white or grey appressed hairy in the upper, outer part, with both scales and hairs along the margins. Inflorescence a 1–4-flowered open umbel, the flowers hanging vertically. Pedicels 10–18mm, slender, densely sub-stellate-scaly, without hairs. Calyx 4–5mm in diameter, obliquely disc-shaped, very shortly obtusely lobed. Corolla 25–30 x 34mm, campanulate or broadly funnel-shaped, bright orange-red, without scent; tube 10–12 x 8–9 x 15–16mm, straight, laxly sub-stellately scaly outside, glabrous inside; lobes 15–18 x 14–16mm, curving outwards and overlapping to ¾, slightly emarginate. Stamens regularly to irregularly arranged in the centre of the flower, exserted to c.6mm; anthers 2–2.5 x c.1mm, obovate-oblong, base sub-obtuse, pale brown, strongly curving inwards; filaments orange, linear, dilated and patently hairy for 2–4mm at the base, glabrous and filiform distally. Disc glabrous, not very prominent. Ovary 4.5 x 3–3.5mm, ovoid-conical, patently long hairy, abruptly contracted distally; style 8–10mm, depressed to the lower side of the flower, glabrous; stigma green, thick-obconical. Fruit 18–30 x 7–9mm, ellipsoid, densely patently hairy and scaly, green often flushed with red, the valves spreading and twisting on opening, the placentae remaining coherent. Seeds 4.5–6mm, without tails 0.8–1mm, the longest tail 3.2mm.

Distribution

Indonesia, N Sumatra, Atjeh, Tapanuli, East Coast.

Altitude

Habitat

Mostly terrestrial, occasionally epiphytic, in open forests, summit vegetation, sub-alpine shrubberies or grassland, locally common.

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:250