Hoya meredithii

Description

Hoya bordenii is a plant species of the genus of wax flowers (Hoya) from the subfamily of the milkweed plants (Asclepiadoideae). Hoya meredetbii is an epiphytic or ground-rooted plant with filamentous, flexible, twining stems. The shoots are sparsely leafy and sparsely rooted when grown up along branches. The leaves, usually opposite, are stalked, the petioles are 2.5 to 3 cm long, 0.8 cm thick, hard and twisted. Occasionally the opposite leaf is missing. The hard and rigid, light green leaf blades are ovate, 12 to 30 cm long and 7.5 to 18 cm wide. The apex is long pointed, the base is blunt and the margin is wavy. The darker leaf venation consists of the prominent midrib and 8 to 12 secondary ribs, which split up like a net at the end. The umbel-shaped inflorescence has up to 35 flowers. The persistent peduncle is 10 cm long and 2 mm thick. The flower stalks are straight and of equal length and therefore produce a hemispherical inflorescence. The pale yellow to yellow-green corolla is 1 cm in diameter. The sepals are triangular, 1.5 mm long, pointed and glabrous. The Kronblattzipfel are ovate, pointed and flat to reflexed. The accessory crown is bright white and has a diameter of 5 mm. It is flat and fleshy. The tips are elliptical. The outer process is pointed, the inner process is blunt. The Pollinesare elongated and flattened. The caudicles are very short and curved. The corpusculum is comparatively very small. The flowers have a pleasant fragrance and secrete nectar. The flowers last about four days before fading. Fruits and seeds have not been observed so far. Hoya meredithii is similar to Hoya globulosa Hook.f., but differs in the larger ovate leaves and hemispherical inflorescence. The species is so far only from the type locality under construction, Sarawak, eastern Malaysia. It grows there in tropical lowland rainforest about 35 m above sea level on calcareous soil. In cultivation (on Hawaii) it flowers preferably in April, May and June. Hoya meredithii was first described by Ted Green in 1988. Plants of the World online accepts Hoya meredithii as a valid taxon. The holotype is preserved in the Herbarium of the Bishop Museum in Honolu, Hawaii (T. Green Meredith 80-05, Wallace 851980). A duplicate was also deposited in the Britton Herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden. The species was named after York Meredith of Dee Why, Australia, who discovered the plant.