Rhododendron solitarium Sleumer

Shrub to 2 m, mostly terrestrial, young stems at first densely brown-scaly and minutely hairy. Leaves 8–11 × 3–5.5 cm, elliptic or slightly obovate-elliptic, the apex rounded to broadly obtuse, sometimes with a very slightly protruding apical gland, margin slightly revolute and narrowly cartilaginous, the base broadly tapering to rounded; upper surface at first densely brown-scaly but quickly becoming glabrescent, midrib slightly raised in the basal half, impressed above, lateral veins 7–10 pairs markedly impressed as also the finer veins to give a bullate surface with clear reticulation; under surface with the midrib and laterals very strongly raised, densely brown-scaly at first with very varied dendroid scales from epidermal tubercles but the scales all easily removed at a touch. Flowers 4–6 per umbel, horizontal to half-hanging; calyx a low angled somewhat scaly disc but sometimes with elongate lobes; corolla pure white, scented, trumpet-shaped with a slightly curved tube, 5–7 × 2–3 cm, slightly scaly outside; stamens 10, exserted from the mouth in a central group but falling to the lower side of the mouth as the corolla ages; ovary densely covered with hairs and scales, style hairy and scaly in the basal glabrous above. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)

Distribution  Papua New Guinea Morobe Province, Mt Kaindi

Habitat 1,700–2,000 m

RHS Hardiness Rating H2

Conservation status Least concern (LC)