Hoya crassior Hochreutiner 1935

Type dewscription:

            In Candollea 6 (1936) 480-481.  Hochreutiner. Hoya crassior Hochr. sp. nov. — Planta epiphytica; caules ± cylindrici glabri, in nodis incrassati. Folia opposita, mediocri; petioli breves, glabri,  ±  carnosi, supra caniculati et in parte cum lamina uniti  ± glandulosi; lamina glaberrima, crassissima, carnosa, ita ut nervus utrinque impressus videatur, centrum lanceolata, apice paululum attenuato-acuminata, basi acuta, margine integra, nervi secundarii inconspicui, vel in laminis foliorum supremorum axilla affixa vel  ± extra axillam sed juxta eam deposita. Pedunculus mediocris glabra, quam pedicelli brevior; pedicelli filiformes, glabra, numerosi. Calyx glaber, profunde lobatus, lobis ovatis obtusis, margine pilos paucos minutissimos gerentibus. Corolla non profunde lobata et inter lobis, in sinubus, glandulosa; corolla tota glabriuscula glaberrima. lobis acutis sed intus, versus lobarum apicem, aream parvam villosam praebentibus. Corollae phylla cum staminibus concreta, ovoidea, facie suprtiore apiculum in stamina adpressum praebentia, apice dilatata ita ut in appendicem scariosam ovatum abeuntia; pollinia parva elliptica. Stigmatis caput applanatum sed medio breviter apiculatum. Ovarium breve, in gynostegii cavernula parva dispositum  ±  conicum. Petioli 3-4 mm. longi; lamina 6x1.6 - 4x1 cm. longa et lata. Pedunculus ca. 1 cm. longus, pars florifera 3-4 mm. longa; pedicelli 1.5- 1.7 cm. longi. Flos expansus minus quam 1 cm. latis, - siccus ca. 0.5 cm. latis. - Calyces lobi ca. 1.25 x 0.75 mm. longi et lati; corolla ca 4 mm. longa; coronae phylla sicca ca. 1.5 x 0.75 mm longa et lata. Samoa, ile d’Upolu, route du lac Lanuto, alt. 400 m. mais pas plus haut, epiphyte a fleurs d’un blanc jaunatre, 26 mars 1905 (n. 3411).  Cette espece est tout as fait differente de celles que Reinecke a signalees a Samoa, dont l'une a des feuilles 5-nerviees avec une corolle de 1.5 cm. de diametre et l’autre des feuilles laineuses. Le H. bicarinata Gr. en differe aussi par ses feuilles ovees et les articles bicarenes de sa couronne. Rechinger a decrit egalement trois especes novelles se Hoya de Samoa dont l’une a des feuilles tres petites (3 cm.) et l’autre des fueilles tres minces qui ne cadrent pas avec notre espece; en revanche, la troisieme espece le H. pycnophylla Reich. resemble a note plante et la photographie qu’em donne Rechinger (Denkschr. Akad. Wien, math. naturw. Pl. LXXXV, t. XII, f. 1 (1910) nous a fait croire, a premiere vue, qu’il s’agissait de la meme espece. Cependant, quoique la description de la fleur soit rudimentaire, neanmoins la presence des feuilles montrant cinq nervures longitudinales sur toute leur longueur, malgre l’epaisseur du limbe (exprimee par le nom de pycnophylla) et l'indication: “nervi utrinque manifeste prominentes” alors qu’ici la nervation est purement pennee et les nervures completement noyees dans le mesophylle, montrent qu’une identification est impossible. On peut citer encore dans la diagnose de l’auter: “segmenta calyces... apice acuminata glabra” tandis que, chez notre espice, les sepales sont obtus et cilies. Il est vrai que les indications de Rechinger sont  quelque peu sujettes a caution car, dans sa description il dit: petiole de 1 cm. , limbe de 9 x 2 - 10 x 3 cm., pedoncule 5-6 cm. et pedicelles 15 mm. alors que, sur la photographie de sun specimen. on measure des petioles de 5-7 mm., des limbes 3.8 x 1 - 5 x 1.5 cm., des pedoncules de 1-2 cm. et des pedicelles de 5-8 mm.; cependant, on ne peut pas se tromper sur la nervation foliaire, bein visible sur la photographe, c’est pourquoi une identification nous a paru impossible.
            Enfin. se nous comparons notre espece au H. diptera Seem. nous observons que, chez ce dernier, les tiges quadrangulaires. les feuilles ovees elliptiques, les decrit pour Samoa un Physostelma Betchei mais, si nous en croyons la description, cette plante differe de la notre par les dimensions de l’inflorescence et de la fleur et par la corolle velue interieurement. En l’apparance de la  corolle, que est peu profundement lobee chez notre espece, pourrait induire les asclepiadologues a en faire un Physostelma crassior.

Translation:  Hoya crassior Hoch. species new. Plant epiphytic, stalks more or less cylindrical glabrous thickened at the nodes. Leaves opposite, midsize, petioles short, glabrous, more or less fleshy, channeled above and where united with the blade somewhat glandular; blade very glabrous, very thick and fleshy, the midrib it seems depressed on but sides, otherwise lanceolate, apex a little attenuate-acuminate, base acute, margines entire, secondary nerves inconspicuous, or in juvenile leaflet blade about 3, both sides arching and meeting and with reticulate nerves. Inflorescence ambulate somewhat terminal i.e. affixed in the highest leaf axils yet more or lass outside the axils. Peduncles moderately glabrous, but shorter than the pedicels; pedicels threadlike , glabrous, numerous. Calyx glabrous. deeply lobed, lobes ovate obtuse, margines minutely sparsely ciliate,  Corolla not deeply lobed and inner lobes at the sinus, glandular: corolla totally glabrous to very glabrous, lobes acute but towards the lobe apexes exhibiting a small area of villoseness. Scales of the corona with stamens grown together, ovoid, making the  upper apex to the stigma. Stigma broad elliptic, more or less ovate, margines becoming scarious, apexes swollen with the appendages scarious tapering ovate; pollinia small elliptic. Stigmas head flattened but briefly apiculate in the middle. Ovaries small, and more or lass deposited in the gynostegium cavity.
            Petiole 3-4 mm. long; blades 6x1.6 x 4 x 1 cm. wide. Peduncle about 1 cm. long, flower bearing part 3-4 mm. long; pedicels 1.5 - 1.7 cm. long. Flowers expanded less than 1 cm. wide, - dried about 0.5 cm. wide. - calyx lobes about 1.25 x 0.75 mm. long and wide; corolla about  4 mm. long; leaflets of the corona dry about 1.5 x 0.75 mm. long and wide. Samoa on the island of Upolu, the road to Lake Lanuto, alt.400 m. but not higher, epiphytic with yellowish  white flowers, 26 March 1905. (number 3411). This specimen is completely different from those that Reinecke observed on Samoa, one of which has five-ribbed leaves with a corolla 1.5 cm. in diameter and the other with furry leaves. The H. bicarinata Gray differs from them also by its ovoid leaves and bicarinate articles of the crown. Rechinger likewise described  3 new species of hoya from Samoa of which one has very small leaves (3.cm.) and the other very thin leaves which do not tally with our species; on the other hand the 3rd species, H. pycnophylla Rech. resembles our plant and the photo that Rechinger gives of it (Denkschr. Akad. Wein, math Natur. pl. 85 , t. 12, f. 1 (1910) leads us to believe, on first glance, that is was the same species. However, although the description of the  flower is rudimentary, nevertheless the presence of the leaves showing 5 longitudinal ribs on their whole length, despite the thickness of the leaf blade (expressed by the name pycnophylla) and the indication  (nerves on both sides manifestly prominent) while here the ribbing is purely pinnate, and the ribs completely submerged in the mesophyll, shows that an identification is impossible. One can further cite in the diagnosis of the author (calyx segments .... apexes acuminate, glabrous) while in our species the sepals are obtuse and ciliate. It is true that Rechinger’s indications are somewhat subject to caution for in his description he says: petioles of 1 cm; leaf blade of 9x2 to 10 x 3 cm. peduncle 5-6 cm., and pedicels 5-8 mm. that is why an identification  appears impossible to us.
            Finally if we compare our species to H. diptera Seemann, we observe that with this later plant the quadrangular stems, the ovate-elliptical leaves, the compressed peduncles, do not tally with our plant.
            Schlechter described for Samoa a Physostelma Betchei, but if we believe his description this plant differs from ours by the dimensions of the inflorescence and the flower and by the corolla which is hairy on the inside. On the other hand the appearance of the corolla which is not deeply lobed in our species could induce asclepiadologists to make is a Physostelma crassior.