Ic. Bog. 1910. 4: 73, t.322.
WFO ID: wfo-0000405541
IPNI ID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:333637-1
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Much-branched, erect shrub or tree, to 4m. Twigs slender, rounded, densely reddish scaly when young; internodes 2–10cm. Leaves 4–6 together in tight pseudowhorls but commonly with an odd leaf inserted apart from the others. Blade 30–70 x 10–22mm, narrowly ovate to obovate or elliptic or narrowly elliptic; apex shortly acuminate, sub-acute or sometimes obtuse, often apiculate with a small protruding gland; margin flat and entire, or slightly revolute when dry; base broadly to narrowly tapering; initially scaly on both sides, glabrescent above at maturity, the scales leaving small pits; persistently scaly beneath. Scales small, dense to overlapping, pale yellowish-brown, rounded or lobed, marginal zone broad, the centre small and impressed, with occasional much larger scales distributed irregularly. Mid-vein impressed above, prominent beneath, reddish in fresh specimens; lateral veins 5–7 per side, the lower ones steeply ascending, upper ones more spreading, curved, indistinctly anastomosing, faintly impressed above, minutely, but visibly raised beneath. Petiole 2.5–5 x 1–1.5mm, semi-rounded, grooved above, scaly. Bracts to 8 x 4mm, ovate to obovate, obtuse, thin, scaly outside towards the apex, glabrous otherwise. Bracteoles to 6mm, filiform, glabrous. Inflorescence terminal but often with some axillary, a 3–8-flowered open umbel, the flowers horizontal to half-hanging. Pedicels 10–15mm, slender, densely scaly. Calyx c.3mm in diameter, cup-shaped, oblique, irregularly 5-lobed, often with 2 narrowly triangular acute lobes, up to 2mm, the other ones smaller, all densely scaly. Corolla 14–15 x 9mm, tubular, red or orange; tube c.10 x 3–6 x 3–5mm, sub-densely scaly outside, glabrous inside, variable in shape, cylindrical or sometimes contracted distally; lobes c.4 x 4mm, sub-circular, scaly outside except near the margins, erect and overlapping to c.¾. Stamens nearly as long as the corolla tube; filaments linear, glabrous; anthers c.1 x 1mm, broadly obtusely obovate. Disc glabrous. Ovary 3–4 x 2–2.5mm, conical, 5-ribbed, densely brown-scaly, abruptly contracted distally; style 4–5mm, glabrous, with a 5-lobed stigma. Fruit 15–18 x 5–6mm, thick-fusiform or sub-cylindrical, sometimes slightly curved in the upper part, densely scaly, the style persistent. Seeds 2.7–3mm, without tails c.0.8mm, the longest tail c.1mm.
Indonesia, C and E Java; Kedu, Besuki, Madiun, Lesser Sunda Is. (Bali, Flores, Lombok), C and SW Sulawesi. Philippines, Luzon, Prov. Benguet: Mt Bandschan, Mountain Province Banaue to Bontoc.
Bare open slopes or ridges, exposed summits, volcanic rocks or crater walls, in fern-grass – and scrub-vegetation or open forest, in Casuarina forest, on dry places, on sandy, stony or ashy soil, also near solfataras, common locally
R. tubiflorum (non Blume) Mor., Syst. Verz. 1846. 42. R. album (non Blume) Zoll., Syst. Verz. 1854. 2: 137. R. malayanum (non Jack) Koord., Junghuhn Gedenkb. 1910. 185.
Argent, G. (2006) Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. RHS:London. Page:131