Rhododendron sayeri Sleumer

Shrub to 2 m, terrestrial or epiphytic, young stems at first densely brown-scaly, becoming smooth. Leaves 4–7 × 2–4 cm, elliptic, broadly elliptic or obovate-elliptic, the apex obtuse or rounded, the margin entire and revolute, the base broadly to narrowly tapering; the upper surface at first scaly, quickly glabrescent, the midrib narrowly impressed the lateral veins 6–8 pairs smooth, often rather obscure; underside densely to sparsely red-brown scaly, the scales deeply to finely lobed with small dark centres. Flowers 1–4 per umbel, horizontal to hanging; calyx an irregularly 5-lobed scaly disc; corolla pink to red, tubular-funnel-shaped, curved, 4–6 × 1.5–2.5 cm, finely stellate-scaly outside; stamens 10, on the upper side of the mouth, ovary densely stellate-scaly, the style scaly in the lower glabrous above. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)

Distribution  Papua New Guinea Central and Enga Provinces

Habitat 1,700–2,200 m

RHS Hardiness Rating H2

Conservation status Data deficient (DD)