Rhododendron

Great photos. It was found in Kinabalu, Malaysia, probably the richest single site for the tropical vireya Rhododendrons. This area has probably been better explored for plants than anywhere else. And yet, just a few years ago, on Kinabalu an American botanist Todd Barkman was doing ecological work on the Serpentine flora, and he discovered in this very inhospitable, extremely steep and unstable area a rhododendron species. He really was not very sure what it was since it doesn't key out. Lo and behold, he was perfectly right. It was very small with thick leathery leaves with absolutely black stems growing in a miserable place on a landslip, usually enveloped in cloud and mist. It's an extraordinary species, and it's a brand new species, from Kinabalu, and only about 15 minutes climb (or scramble) off the main trail. Since much of this area is inaccessible, it is not know how wide spread the species is distributed.