Rhododendron goodenoughii Sleumer

Shrub to 2 m, terrestrial or epiphytic; young stems at first finely brown-scaly, quickly becoming glabrescent. Leaves 5.5–10 × 3–6 cm, mostly obovate but some elliptic or broadly elliptic, the apex broadly obtuse to rounded, the margin almost flat, the base broadly tapering; upper surface finely scaly at first but very quickly becoming glabrous, the midrib broad and grooved in the lower part, hardly raised at the base, slightly impressed in the upper part, lateral veins 5–8 pairs hardly raised; the lower surface with the midrib raised almost throughout its length, the laterals distant but almost smooth, finely scaly with small disc-shaped scales impressed in shallow pits. Flowers 7–16 per umbel, mostly semi-erect; calyx a low scaly ring; corolla white, scented, trumpet-shaped but curved and saccate at the base, 6–8 × 2–4 cm, slightly scaly on the tube outside; stamens 10, irregularly arranged around and somewhat protruding from the mouth of the flower; ovary covered with scales and appressed hairs, style similarly covered in scales and hairs for the basal glabrous near the top. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)

Distribution  Papua New Guinea Endemic to Goodenough Island, Mt Goodenough

Habitat 800–1,500 m

RHS Hardiness Rating H2

Conservation status Data deficient (DD)