Of course, in my usual "can't-help-myself" way I took a plant home. It was the one with the double peduncle. I'm hoping that with a little bit of attention and moisture it'll achieve it's normal wet season state and produce flowers early. The photo compares the cutting I took two months ago with today's acquisition.
Tbreeze: it really shows how tough these plants are! That's very interesting finding a Hoya with the twin peduncle, keep us posted, with a bit of moisture I bet it perks up quickly.
Hope you get some rain before long ... fires are scary! We occasionally have severe drought conditions and threat of fires. Back in 1998 we had some pretty scary wildfires around with many homes lost. I feel so sorry for people who lose their homes and belongings to fires. But, it's also very sad for the critters in the forests who die, or are displaced by fire. Many times a lot of the fires are started by humans, and it's always wonderful news when the culprit(s) are caught and sent to jail for their actions!
Sure is a big difference in the two plants side by side, showing the cutting from two months ago and the one from today! Please keep us updated on the progress. It will be very interesting to see twin blooms on the one with double peduncles.
Lin, looking at those two plants it's hard to imagine they're the same subspecies. This is one plant that knows how to look good when things are okay, but still knows how to roll up the leaves and wait for the hot dry to end. It's only a day but the double peduncle is still looking okay. I was so worried that it might get damaged while scrambling down that steep rocky slope. It then had to put up with a 40 kilometre drive along a rough dirt road. So far, so good.
I agree, looking at those two side by side there's practically no resemblance. It's just amazing how plants in nature learn how to adapt to changing climate conditions. The one on the right looks great and I bet in no time at all the other will catch up.
No surprise, I've continued looking around at this Hoya in habitat. Although the rains are starting, they're still light and far between. So most of the plants I've seen still look pretty dessicated.
What I did find today, despite a complete absense of peduncles, was a seed pod. This pod was very green and looked fairly new. Flowering is recorded as December to March, with November and April as possibilities. It seems the flower that produced this pod was very late. It's over 6 months from April. Could this pod be 6 months old? I don't know, but it doesn't seem likely to me.
Another question is, what are those two small stems above the seed pods? They look a bit like flower buds.
I'm planning to go back to that plant and put a small piece of mosquito mesh around that seed pod and then keep revisiting to collect the seeds when they ripen. Of course it's not easy. They're growing above a cliff face on an uneven sort of ledge with a lot of scree and rubble. The ledge is between two cliffs, the one below, the other above, making access very difficult. I've a horrible feeling I've become a Hoya fanatic. I wonder if there's medication for it?
Today in a large patch of this Hoya found only one peduncle but with what must be a withered flower on top. Although it still looks a bit strange for a flower. Thought it was worth recording here.
This is turning into "a photo a day". But I liked the way today's photo turned out. It shows the environment the Hoya likes - perched on cliff faces. For obvious reasons I didn't get to check whether this one had any peduncles.
Wow, fantastic photos, TB! Love that last photo. It looks like that hoya is growing right out of the rock, but there must be a little "soil" there.
Thanks,
Mike
Thanks Mike. This is a close up of that same Hoya. You can see it's growing out from where a crack has opened in the rock face. Sand and some leaves would have washed down into the crack forming some "soil". The dead lower stems suggest some years were too tough and the plant died back. Perhaps since then the crack has opened slightly wider and the roots are reaching further down enabling it to better withstand the dry season. It's looking reasonably good despite this year's dry season running longer than normal.
Now this is a real worry. I was always concerned that the double peduncle in the photo some time back didn't look as healthy as the single peduncle. It still doesn't look any better. However, today looking closely at the single peduncle I noticed it seems to be withering where it joins the main stem. I'm afraid it's going to 'abort' soon and I can't understand why.
Another view of it. Looks as though it's ready to fall right now. The double peduncle has a (so far - touch wood) good stem still firmly attached.
Tropic: That is a great photo showing the Hoya growing in natural habitat, in a crack at the edge of the cliff! It's amazing how strong and hardy plants are, and how they adjust with weather conditions ... drying, shriveling and resting during drought seasons and seemingly coming back to life when the rains come. They do have the will to survive don't they?
That peduncle does look like it is going to abort. I've had it happen a few times on a couple of my plants. I like to think the plant just needs to use it's energy to get bigger and stronger before it wants to share it's beautiful blooms.
Lin, these certainly hang on, in more ways than one. The environment has changed quite a bit for it after I took it. Previously it had spent a major part of the day in full sun, especially the afternoon. So it must have finely balanced everything out and then along comes me and turns it all around. Now it's getting a little morning sun and shade the rest of the day. The light is still very bright in the shade. I'll be annoyed if the double peduncle falls off. Probably should have left it where it was and taken my chances on seeing it bloom later on. What's the probability of finding another peduncle like that?
Christine, I don't know whether the word "rescued" is appropriate now, in hindsight. When you see the size of the patch it was growing in it had been doing quite well without any "rescuing".on my part. But as they say, "live and learn".
During the week I took a whole lot of cuttings from the patch where I found the single seed pod. As I was putting one of the cuttings in the bag I noticed a seed pod on it. And I'd been so careful to avoid the area where the pod was. But looking around the patch again the original pod was still there. This had been another one I'd overlooked. Still, not good that it had been cut off but I put it in a pot same as the others. There's 15 of them in individual seedling pots. Guess I'm still on the steepest part of the learning curve.
You can see the pod in the centre foreground of the photo. Although this patch was doing better than a lot of others (leaves not as badly dessicated) and the cuttings are now getting more water, the "surgery" may cause a bad reaction in the pod. Just have to wait and see.
Continuing saga of the peduncles. The single one is barely hanging on, but strangely enough it is still hanging on. Can't imagine it resurrecting itself. Definitely too far gone.
"Touch wood" the double peduncle is still 100% okay. The plant is getting misted more now rather than watered. When we do (rarely) get rain now I sit the plant out in it. The leaves are still all fairly tightly rolled, 3 weeks after I first collected it and started giving it more water.
A bit of an update. The single peduncle fell off some time ago when I put the plant out in the rain. The double peduncle is still hanging on as good as new but no significant development.
The seed pod I accidentally took on a cutting didn't ripen properly. Fell off whilst still green, although yellowing a little. Got all the seeds and planted them. Looks like they were still okay and are germinating. At least I hope it's them germinating in the pot and not some weeds.
Looks like you did a good job with those seeds.
Jan
Good going TB....now...what in the hell am I going to do with all these seedlings? i can hear it now!!!
I have a seed pot from sp. apple green (an eriost emma) and its the size of a football and I am t errified they will all germinate in the bush!!!!...
Merry Christmas, everyone,
Carol
Jan, they're starting to look more like Hoyas every day, and there's more seedlings showing up in that pot every day.
Carol, I'm about to start a new thread, "Oversized Hoya planter". Remember how I had those first two plants, then I took 15 cuttings, and now the seedlings? All of those ssp rupicola. I have a plan!
is there an average length of time for a seed pod to mature, or is it very variable ?
Dom
I 've no real idea, haven't seen a pod go from development to ripening. But someone here should know.
I find seed ripening varied...There is a HUGE one, the size of a football, on the Eriostemma sp. Apple Green and it has been there for months and months!!! Those in the greenhouse seem to ripen quickly...tho they are quite smaller.
Carol
In all the pouring rain I've finally found some H australis ssp rupicola forming flower buds. There were two peduncles in this patch, the same patch where I got my 15 cuttings. Would like to check out some more patches but too many rivers blocking access now. Weather bureau says there's going to be a bit of a lull the next few days and then it's back on for the weekend.
The Hoya flowers are progressing nicely. They'll be open soon.
Another peduncle. With all the rain it was a bit difficult getting to these. The creek crossing was tricky and the cliff climb a bit slippery in places. But it appears the monsoon is going to ease soon and I'll be able to get to a few other places when the water levels drop.
Can't wait to see those flowers!
Thanks for sharing.
Jan
Aaah ... I can smell the fragrance from here! ^_^
TTTTTHHHHHHEEEEE best australis fragrance...or just about hoya fragrance!!! Like a soft powder, almost like baby powder but more grown up...adult...light... ahhhhhh
Today I got to the bridge that had been flooded. From the debris up in the trees you could see the water had been 5 to 6 metres above the bridge. Today it was just under. Decided to take a chance and try to make it to where I found the Hoya with the double peduncle. The track over the other side was badly damaged by the floods but I did have a 4WD. Made it to the foot of the escapment where the Hoyas grew. It was a long hot sweaty climb and a storm was moving in. It occured to me the Hoya mightn't even be flowering but I tried to be positive. As it turned out I found only 3 peduncles with tiny buds. The buds photographed the other day will be open first. So there's no need to risk crossing the river again for photos while the weather is like this..
Be safe!!
You know how we Hoya fanatics are Carol. Whether it's trekking through New Guniea jungles looking for H. gigas, or crossing flooded rivers and scaling cliff faces for H. a. rupicola, we're a determined lot ;O)
Finally the day has come. After all that flooded river crossing, cliff climbing, etc., ..............
A bit closer
Another
And another
And yet another
