PHILIPPINE NATIVE PLANTS: Hoya cumingiana

MANILA, Philippines - Scientific name: Hoya cumingiana Decne.

Family: Asclepiadaceae

Local name: alisip (Ig.); barobagol (Bik.) laklakipan (Bon.); pilpilak (Bon.), pirpirak (Ilk.)

Distribution: Benguet, Bontoc, Sagada, Mt. Province Bataan, Rizal, Albay, Mindoro, Palawan. From sea level to 2000 m altitude. On limestone areas and roadcuts. Endemic.

Description: Scandent shrub with upward twining or pendulous stems. Leaves closely arranged on the stem, ovate cordate, smooth above, somewhat velvety below. Inflorescence umbel type, few flowered. Pedicels 1.5 to 2.5 cm long, green. Calyx lobes overlapping at base, light cream. Corolla lobes triangular acute and reflexed, light reddish towards the center. Fruit a capsule.

Conservation Notes: This beautiful Hoya grows naturally on limestone areas. It readily produce seed pods and set numerous viable seeds. It can easily be propagated by seeds and by stem cuttings. It has a bushy type of growth and its leafy branches become long and pendant unless it finds support from other nearby plants or other surfaces. The flower clusters are waxy and showy.

The plant readily reseed itself and is locally abundant. It is popularly grown in gardens and prefers soil with crushed corals or other calcium source.

For further information contact: Domingo A. Madulid, Philippine National Museum, Botany Division, P. Burgos St., Manila. Tel 5271218. Email: [email protected]