Research into the Vireya rhododendrons of SE Asia originated from the material collected on the expeditions mounted by B. L. Burtt and P. J. B. Woods to West Malaysia, Sarawak and Papua New Guinea in the 1960s. It was found that living plants were particularly suited to, and grew well in, a cool glasshouse environment in the Scottish climate, and several new species were collected and grown for the first time. Over the last 25 years RBGE has sponsored many collecting expeditions to SE Asia and Dr Argent has collected with other members of staff in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. This has resulted in the most comprehensive collection of these beautiful plants ever brought together anywhere in the world. A colour illustrated field handbook for Sabah Parks was produced in 1988, and a new subsectional classification was presented to the Fourth International Rhododendron Conference at Wollongong, Australia in the same year.
Work continues towards a revision of the section.