Bot. Jahr. 1892. 16: 25.
Verified by:
Erect, much-branched and mostly compact shrub or tree, to 12m. Twigs 1–2mm in diameter, rounded, slender, densely covered with stellate scales, the largest ones brown and distinctly stalked, the many smaller ones silvery and sessile; rough after the scales have gone. Leaves regularly spirally arranged, densely to laxly covering the twigs. Blade 7–25 x 5–15mm, broadly-elliptic to ovate-elliptic, rarely ovate or obovate; apex mostly broadly obtuse, sometimes rounded, the terminal gland small but usually protruding; margin cartilaginous, distinctly irregularly crenulate, slightly revolute; base rounded or truncate-sub-cordate, greyish dark green and shining above, pale brownish, silvery or pale yellow beneath, glabrous or very laxly scaly above at maturity, very densely scaly beneath. Scales pale yellow to brown, mostly small, touching each other, and forming a coherent layer initially, marginal zone lobed, the centre small and deeply depressed, a few scattered much larger and deeper brown scales can give the surface a spotted appearance. Mid-vein slightly impressed above, clearly obtusely raised beneath; lateral veins 4–6 per side, straight below, curved towards the margin and anastomosing distally, very slightly impressed above, faintly raised beneath. Petiole 1–3 x c.1mm, a little flattened, grooved above, densely scaly. Flower buds c.8 x 5mm, ovoid, pale green to brown, smooth, densely scaly and very shortly, to long hairy. Outer bracts to 8 x 5mm, ovate, sub-acute, inner ones spathulate, obtuse, all scaly outside and with short hairs, also scaly towards the tips inside and fringed with scales. Bracteoles to 8mm, linear-sub-spathulate, crimped, glabrous or laxly hairy apically. Inflorescence of 3–5 flowers in an open umbel, the flowers hanging to half-hanging. Pedicels 8–13 x c.1mm, slender, densely covered with sub-sessile scales, without hairs. Calyx 2.5–3.5mm in diameter, disc-shaped, oblique, very densely scaly outside, irregularly obtusely 5-lobed. Corolla 13–16 x 8–10mm, cylindrical, zygomorphic, pale to deep red, without scent; tube 10–12 x 4–5 x 5–7mm, straight or a little curved, densely yellowish scaly outside, glabrous inside; lobes 3–5mm in diameter, sub-erect, overlapping c.halfway, unequal, sub-circular, often shortly retuse and irregularly crenulate. Stamens irregularly arranged, slightly exserted; filaments narrowly linear, glabrous; anthers c.1mm, sub-globose. Disc glabrous. Ovary c.5 x 2.5mm, ovoid-conical, densely scaly, broadly tapering distally; style 3–4mm, centrally positioned or irregularly displaced to one side, glabrous; stigma 5-lobed. Fruit 12–15 x 5–6mm, with a persistent short style. Seeds 2mm, without tails c.0.8mm, the longest tail 0.8mm.
Papua New Guinea, Star Mts, Finisterre Mts, Mt Saruwaged region, Mt Wilhelm, Kubor Range, Mt Michael, Mt Giluwe, Mt Dickson, Mt Albert Edward, Murray Pass and the Owen Stanley Range.
Epiphytic in montane forest, but mostly terrestrial at the forest margins, on steep slopes or exposed rocks or grassland above the forest line, often along streams
R. saruwagedicum Foerster, Fedde Rep. 1914. 13: 222. R. saruwagedicum Foerster var. alpinum Sleumer, Flora Malesiana 1966. I, 6(4): 487, f.5. R. yelliottii Warb. loc. cit. (orthographic error).
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:138