Rhododredron lochae? vireya

Baron von Mueller's description of R.lochiae9

as it appeared in The Victorian

Naturalist Vol. III, No. 11 (March 1887) page 157.

Rhododendron lochae. Arborescent, somewhat scandent; leaves persistent,

mostly whorled, some scattered, conspicuously stalked, flat, nearly ovate, rather blunt, glabrous, well veined, minutely scaly-dotted beneath; flowers

rather large in terminal umbelliform fascicles on very conspicuous stalklets;

bracts cuneate or spatular-ovate, glabrescent; calyx rudimentary, oblique

patellar or sometimes variously short-lobed; corolla bright-red, glabrous but

scaly-dotted outside, slightly hairy inside, the lower portion broadly cylindrical, 

the upper portion bluntly five-lobed and conspicuously veined; stamens ten,

slightly emerging from the corolla-tube; filaments short-hairy towards the

base; anthers very small, ellipsoid-cylindrical; style nearly as long as the

filaments, short-hairy to about the middle; indusium truncate; stigma slightly

lobed, five celled; seeds conspicuously appendiculated.

This a great display plant that is best grown in containers here in Melbourne. I have been growing them for some years now and find the most successful way is for them to be grown containers no less than 25cm diameter. Plants need to be 'potted on' to this size in an open media, I have been using a mix containing mainly coco-peat chunks as used in orchid mixes added to regular potting mix.

Feeding with low phosphorous slow – release and liquid feeding is beneficial. With liquid feeding I use both Pottasium Nitrate and Calcium Nitrateas a boost.

An herbarium specimen of R.lochiae

collected by Christie Palmerston on Mt. Bartle Frere in 1888, and one

collected by Stephen Johnson on Mt. Bartle Frere in November 1891, are in

the National Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. Kajewski

collected R.lochiae on Mt. Bartle Frere in 1929

R.lochiae in its native habitat.

W. A. Sayer wrote that "the top of the Bellenden-Ker range is razor-backed

and on travelling along the rocky spur, R.lochiae was found as a terrestrial

plant hanging over the side."

Ben Menelaus wrote that he found about 20 plants on Mt. Bartle Frere rooted

in deep cracks in or between rocky boulders with roots always cool and

protected from the sun, wind and collectors.

R.lochiae appeared to be quite widespread and common on mountains in

North Queensland where suitable habitat occurs in rocky areas above 1050m.

It was never seen growing as an epiphyte. Mostly it grew on accumulated litter

on or between rocks. Sometimes the plants grew in deep cracks in the rocks

and would straggle up to the light making quite long plants. Many others grew

in exposed places on rocks, and were very wooded and stunted. The "best"

plants grew in the forest but were invariably associated with rocks. Fewer

plants grew out amongst the scrub away from the rocks.

In all the areas where R.lochiae has been found growing in the wild, it has

been found growing above or almost above the tree line, in full sun, with a

level of ultraviolet light and also a high humidity.

In cultivation in Melbourne, the main flowering period is during February and

March

Although these plants grow well in the ground in rich, well drained soils

containing plenty of leaf mould, the plants grow better in containers such as

hollowed out sections of tree-fern trunks containing rotted tree-fern fibre, peat

moss and leaf mould.

The plants are not difficult to grow providing four basic requirements are

understood. They require a good supply of moisture, good light, protection

from extremes of temperature, and most important of all, good drainage. Dr. 

John Rouse has demonstrated that although they prefer acid conditions, they

in fact have a high requirement for calcium, and this can be added to compost

as calcium phosphate which does not raise the pH too much. It has been

stated that they do not like extremes of temperature. The plants need

protection from frost as they are frost tender, and they need semishade during

the hot summer months. However, they do like warmth and high humidity. The

foliage of plants subjected to temperatures below 5°C loses its gloss and

becomes blotched with dull red patches. 

Decorative pots should be large enough to 'hide' black plastic container plant is growing in.