Adansonia 2005. 27(2): 268.
WFO ID: wfo-0000405625
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77071327-1
Verified by:
Erect shrub to 1.3m. Twigs cylindrical, 1–2mm in diameter, at first very densely scaly, later densely warty from the scale bases after the scales have fallen. Leaves erect, in tight pseudowhorls of 3–6 leaves near the tips of the twigs. Blade 6–33 x 3–13mm, narrowly elliptic; apex acute to apiculate; margin entire, strongly revolute giving a linear or narrowly oblong appearance; base acutely tapering, the upper side dark green, matt, at first densely scaly but the scales quickly falling leaving a rough densely papillose surface, the lower side densely and more persistently scaly. Scales dense, reddish, irregularly stellate, the centre relatively small, from a stalk attached to a small, pointed, persistent, epidermal protuberance. Mid-vein slightly impressed above, prominent below, lateral veins not visible, very leathery and rigid. Petiole 1–5mm, strong, rigid, flattened and grooved above, at first densely scaly, later only papillose from the scale bases. External bracts triangular to ovate, the apices cuspidate to apiculate, scaly and papillose near the apex outside, scaly at the margin, glabrous inside; inner bracts broadly obovate to obovate spathulate, to 11 x 8mm, emarginate and apiculate at the apex, glabrous or scaly or glabrous near the apex externally, scaly on the margins and glabrous internally. Bracteoles to 10mm, linear-spathulate, rounded or mucronate at the apex, sub-glabrous. Inflorescence of 1–2 hanging flowers. Pedicels 10–20 x c.1.5mm, densely scaly. Calyx c.4mm in diameter, rounded, obscurely 5-lobed, very densely scaly outside. Corolla white, campanulate, 17–24mm; tube 10–13 x 7–8 x 9–10mm, the sides straight, scaly-papillose outside, glabrous inside, slightly 5-grooved at the base; lobes 7–11 x 10–12mm, sub-circular to elliptic, apex rounded, spreading or recurved, overlapping to halfway, scaly outside to the margins near the base, glabrous distally. Stamens erect, regularly disposed within the mouth of the flower, dimorphic; filaments white, glabrous; anthers c.2 x 1mm, brown, oblong to obovoid. Disc 10-lobed, glabrous. Ovary c.5 x 3mm, conical, very densely scaly; style c.2mm, green, glabrous, included within the tube; stigma 5-lobed. Fruit c.12 x 5mm, sub-conical, 5-grooved, densely scaly, the valves a little twisted and recurved on dehiscence. Seeds 3mm including the tails.
Indonesia, New Guinea (W). Known only from the original collection from the summit ridge of Mt Sendanihanegen between 3470 and 3510m.
In montane shrubbery at the transition to the sub-alpine zone.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:107