In Focus: Hoya siariae

Hoya siariae is endemic to the Philippines, one of the hoya species from among the almost 200 species found in the country. Its name is from one of the researcher-collectors of hoyas, Dr. Monina Siar. After years of working at the University of the Philippines Los Banos, she succumbed to cancer at middle age. She was my friend and colleague, who introduced me to hoyas and gave me my H diversifolia. 

Buds of Hoya siariae are not flat, but with angular protruding sharp corners, unlike most hoyas.

There are a few color forms like the yellowish corolla, the pinkish (above), whitish and red. But i only have the first two and don't have the last two. 

It is a very prolific hoya, it produces many peduncles per plant and flowers frequently. Just like most hoyas, the flowers are pointing downwards, technically called positively geotropic or pointing to the earth. The corolla reflexes the tips backwards leaving an almost cup-shaped flowers. There is also a slight scent that i can't compare with anything, but it is pleasant. 

The corona of my two color forms are both fuschia or purplish color. 

 The above photo shows 3 different stages of blooming, the top is fully open, the right and bottom already about to close before dropping the flowers. They are only open for 2 days. 

This is the other color form, more pinkish corolla than the first one. It has a lot of umbels at the same time at different stages of blooming. Ants are very common partakers of nectar of this hoya.

This is a small seedling, producing true-to-type characteristics. It immediately flowered from its first long shoot. It is known to hoya growers that a long leafless vine normally produces the peduncles, and this one just did as a seedling. 

Just last year Kloppenburg changed its name to Hoya blashernaezii ssp. siariae. Hoya blashernaezii has the same form characteristics with pure yellow color.

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