Description

Shrub to 2m. Twigs to 5mm in diameter, obtusely angular or laterally compressed, densely brown, stellate-scaly; internodes 5–12cm. Leaves 5–6 together in loose pseudowhorls or laxly arranged in the upper 1⁄3 of the internodes. Blade 60–90 x 40–60mm, broadly elliptic or sub-ovate-elliptic; apex broadly obtuse to rounded, sometimes slightly retuse; margin entire, narrowly revolute, especially proximally; base broadly tapering to rounded, or sub-cordate, laxly covered with reddish-brown scales on both sides initially. Scales very variable in size, stellate to sub-dendroid, each on top of minute epidermal tubercles. Mid-vein thick and prominent, grooved proximally, gradually becoming flat distally above, strongly raised below, gradually less so distally; lateral veins 7–8 per side, irregular, some deeply forked, indistinctly anastomosing before the margin, smooth when fresh, slightly impressed above, prominent below when dry, reticulation obscure. Petiole 10–20 x c.2mm, weakly grooved above, densely brown-scaly. Outer bracts ovate to sub-circular, to 20 x 20mm, inner ones to 35 x 18mm, spathulate, innermost ones elongate-spathulate, to 50 x 10mm, all laxly short-hairy outside, internally more densely and longer, appressed hairy. Bracteoles 40–50 x 2–5mm, sub-spathulate-linear, hairy especially along the margin. Inflorescence an 8–14-flowered open umbel. Pedicels 5–7 x 1.5–2mm, laxly scaly. Calyx c.5mm in diameter, oblique, rim-like, obscurely lobed. Corolla 100–110 x 55mm, trumpet-shaped, pink, strongly scented, weakly zygomorphic; tube 85–105 x 6–9 x 10–15mm, sub-densely scaly outside, hairy for ¾ of the tube inside, straight or slightly curved, strongly angled in the proximal ½, gradually widening for the proximal 65mm, (where curved), then parallel for the remainder; lobes 26–27 x 24–25mm, spreading, oblong-obovate, in two groups: three upper overlapping to 2/3; two lower, widely separated from the upper three, overlapping 1⁄3–½. Stamens exserted to 15mm, grouped on the lower side of the mouth, becoming reflexed back against the corolla lobes with age; filaments linear, hairy for c.¾ proximally, narrower and glabrous distally; anthers 5–6 x 1–1.3mm, narrowly oblong, base of each cell apiculate. Disc glabrous. Ovary 12–15 x c.3mm, elongate-cylindrical, densely covered with white or yellowish appressed hairs, which cover the scales, tapering distally; style exserted to 15mm, pink, densely covered with hairs and scales proximally, becoming less hairy and more scaly, glabrous for the distal 10mm; stigma c.1.5mm in diameter, 5-lobed, green. Fruit to 50 x 7mm.

Distribution

Indonesia, New Guinea (W), Arfak Mts: Mt Saru-mot, Anggi Gigi Lake, Mt Carstensz.

Altitude

Habitat

Both epiphytic in dense forest and terrestrial in open disturbed Nothofagus summit forest or shrubberies

Nomenclatural History

Notes

References

Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:175