J. Hort. Soc. Lond. 1848. 3: 86, 87.
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Generally epiphytic shrub to 2m, the roots reported to be long and fleshy. Twigs 3–5mm in diameter, densely shortly patent white hairy and sparsely scaly with small dark brown scales; internodes 5–10cm. Leaves 4–7 together in tight pseudowhorls usually with 1–3 much smaller leaves. Blade 60–100 x 20–40mm, broadly elliptic, elliptic to narrowly ovate; apex acute to rounded, with very short hairs particularly on the underside near the petiole; margin entire, flat or weakly revolute; base broadly tapering to rounded or sub-cordate, scaly initially on both sides, glabrescent above except for the mid-vein where the scales tend to persist, beneath, remaining laxly scaly for a long time. Scales very small, dark brown, rounded to stellately lobed; centre small, slightly impressed. Mid-vein broad and raised above for up to 10mm but rapidly tapering and becoming narrowly grooved distally; below bright red, raised throughout most of its length and tapering gradually; lateral veins 7–10 per side, curved-ascending, somewhat impressed above, indistinctly raised beneath, often obscure on both sides. Petiole 10–25 x 2–3.5mm, smooth, rounded, without a groove, scaly and very shortly hairy. Flower buds to 20 x 15mm, dark purple, the tips of the bracts reflexed outwards. Bracts broadly elliptic, broadly ovate to broadly obovate, with a broad spreading to reflexed apiculus, appressed hairy all over outside and with a patch of scales about the centre line distally, inside glabrous except for the apiculus which is both scaly and hairy inside and out, fringed with small dark brown scales; inner bracts narrowly spathulate, glabrous except for the fringe of scales. Bracteoles to 25mm, filiform, with just a few scales distally. Inflorescence a full umbel with 8–15 flowers, which are erect to horizontal. Pedicels 30–40 x 2–3mm, densely covered with long patent hairs and laxly with small scales. Calyx oblique, c.4mm in diameter, sub-circular, irregularly and shortly 5-lobed with one lobe occasionally up to 2mm long, shortly hairy and scaly outside. Corolla 50–60 x 40–50mm, narrowly funnel-shaped, red to reddish-orange; tube 30–36 x 5–10 x 11–15mm, deeply grooved in the proximal part, densely to laxly scaly and with some scattered hairs outside, sub-densely hairy inside; lobes 20–30 x 13–22mm, semi-erect to spreading horizontally, broadly elliptic. Stamens exserted to c.10mm, irregularly grouped around the mouth, or in two fairly coherent groups on either side; filaments 35–45 x c.1mm, filiform, laxly hairy in the proximal 1⁄3, glabrous distally; anthers c.2.5 x 0.7mm, oblong, curved, the cells sometimes with a small basal apiculus. Disc densely white-hairy at its upper margin, glabrous below. Ovary 5–8 x 3–4mm, sub-cylindric-conical, abruptly contracted distally, densely to sparsely covered with hairs, and very small scales; style held on the lower side of the tube, at first at the mouth, later exserted up to 15mm, hairy and scaly for the lower 3⁄5–4⁄5, glabrous distally; stigma rounded. Fruit 33 x 6mm, cylindrical, reddish-purple, patently hairy and scaly. Seeds 3–3.3mm, with crimped tails, without tails c.1mm, the longest tail 1.2mm.
Malaysia (Borneo), Sarawak, Mt Penrissen, Mt Santubong, Lundu, top of Mt Gading, Bongo Mts, Batang Lupar, Merurong Plateau (Bintulu), Hose Mts, Batu Laga, Kapit. Indonesia (Borneo), Kalimantan (W), Mt Kenepai.
Epiphytic in moss forest, and occasionally on the ground.
R. velutinum Becc., Malesia 1878. I: 204. R. verticillatum f. velutinum (Becc.) Sleumer, Reinwardtia 1960. 5: 185.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:256