I picked this plant up at Lowe's.
I believe it was marked Miniature Compacta (EA plant).
I know it's not a Compacta but am not sure about it's true identity.
At first I thought Heuschkeliana but I have never seen one in Maine and I'm not even sure EA sells them.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Closeup of the leaves
Overall picture of the plant
I researched h. brevialata and although there is a resemblance; I don't believe it to be brevialata as the pictures that I saw showed cupped leaves also and mine doesn't seem to cup in any way. With my luck it's not even a hoya but an Aeschynanthus *lol*. It was marked hoya though and usually EA does distinguish correctly between the hoya and aeschynanthus *lol*.
Thank you though,
Kim
Hi ya Kim!
It looks like you have a nice Aeschynanthus there! EA does get their labels mixed up most of the time and I've seen many of their plants at the garden centers down here mislabeled. If you can bear to break the tip of a branch to check for sap (no sap on the Lipstick plant) that would be a way to rule out Hoya.
This is an EA plant I've had for about 2 1/2 years, Aeschynanthus radicans, that resembles your plant.
A little closer view of the foliage:
Lin, what a GREAT way to tell whether or not I have an Aeschynanthus or Hoya.........don't know why I didn't think of that *lol*
You're right; ours do really look alike. So I was expecting when I broke 2 leaves off that I wouldn't see sap.
Guess what? White sap!
So it's a hoya right? And still an enigma *lol*
I may just have to wait for blooms.
The leaves are very fleshy feeling but are not cupped in any way. It is unlike any hoya I have ever seen and there was only 1.
I was thinking that when I broke the leaves off that it would prove to be an Aeschynanthus but because of the white sap that means it's not right?
Thank you,
Kim
Aha ... it does sound like you might have a Hoya, if it has a milky sap! It will be fun waiting on blooms to see exactly which one it is!
I kept thinking it sorta looks like brevialata or incurvula. I used to have a couple of very large brevialata's that were both EA plants but unfortunately lost them as well as my huge DS-70's in our freeze this winter.
To me brevialata and incurvula look similar but one has bigger leaves than the other. Carol posted a photo in PF showing the leaves of both. H. brevialata http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/82508/
and here's the link to H. incurvula with only one photo: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57675/
That would be my guess; white sap means its at the very least realted to hoya. The brevialata I had, and it didn't die that long ago, had fairly flat leaves but it wasn't a healthy plant for some reason.
One question Kim; you say the leaves are fleshy. Are they fleshy so that they're tender and you could easily snap one? A hoya even with a fleshy leaf will be quite tough, that's why I ask.
It could very well be a Dischidia ... EA sells a few of them too.
I was thinking Dischisia. Theres something about Dischidias which just ring a bell. The leaves have a slightly different lustre. Poss D oiantha, but you'll never know till it flowers. If it is a Dischidia, the flowers will be very small and urn like
Dominic
Yep, this one has me stumped to be sure.
I'm quite certain it's not brevialata or incurvula. What it is exactly is a stumper.
I looked up D. oiantha and it doesn't fit that either due to the fact that D. oiantha leaves are kind of heart shaped on the end. The leaves of this plant don't really round at the end at all.
Ceedub the leaves are fleshy but kind of tough. I had to pinch them quite hard to remove them to see if there was white sap. Most likely it will turn out to be in the Dischidia family with my luck *lol* and if it is..........it will be given away as a gift *lol*.
I will at least give it a chance to bloom first though *lol*
Maybe as the weather warms up it will trigger some blooms and we will once and for all be able to ID this crazy thing *lol*
Thanks for all your help & trying everyone; I greatly appreciate it.
Kim
Kim...Can you post a photo of about a 5" section of vine from the top and from the bottom? Plants straight out of EA are grown in PERFECT conditions and leaves can really change/morph. Case in point below: these are leaves from the SAME plant, a friend standing behind them to give you an idea of scale..... It still could be heuschkeliana...seeing both sides at the same time will help.....
The two sizes, at the top of the photo.... This is an Eriostemma...cv. Optimistic, I think....
This message was edited Mar 15, 2010 8:56 AM
Carol (and everyone)
I am SO interested in getting this plant identified and goodness I'm SO hoping it's NOT a dischidia *lol*
I have searched SO many dischidia looking for a match; I have searched hoya after hoya and I just keep coming up blank.
I have a hunch it's heuschkeliana and how tickled I would be but I don't want to get my hopes up.
Do some hoyas get the little "grabber" type things that come out of the stem like they want to grab a wall or is that mainly dischidia? I ask because this plant seems to have those little "grabbers" (I'm sure there is a technical term for this but I'm lost as to what it is).
I have taken some new pictures in hopes of an ID and gave her a nice shower so we can see true leaf color.
Here are some new shots:
Closeup of the vine
Tried to capture the underside for leaf structure
Side of the vine
Leaf closeup
Do any of these help any better?
I can say that I have had an EA incurvula, brevliata, tsagni and currently have a lacunosa and this doesn't really look like any of those for some reason.
I was almost convinced it was an Aeschynanthus until I broke a leaf off and there was white sap.
So at a loss here *lol*
Kim
I need to go out to the greenhouse to check...but the little notch out of the apex (pointy end) of the leaf tells me it is probably a dischidia. NOT a bad thing...dischidias are really cool plants. Not sure of which one. D. oiantha and D. geri are synonimous... www.dischidia.com
The little roots that come out at the nodes and along the stems are called 'advanticious' roots...i.e. they take advantage of the substrate for support and for nutrients.... Those are, actually, the same roots in the pot...just not as developed.
I don't know but it sure looks like my Heucheliana...
$5 its D oiantha.:))
$5 Canadian? ok :))
More pictures coming; have been doing some research. 3 gardeners will you look at your heuschkeliana and tell me if you see these under the leaves at all?
After researching (still hoping it's NOT dischidia *lol*) d. ointha new growth is a pronounced red in color.
Here is new growth on my plant. No red.
Now in looking a d. ointha the leaves seem to be pretty heartshaped. More of a notch is what I think I remember from the pictures.
Here is a closeup of 1 leaf on my plant.
I'm SO hoping heuschkeliana still but I kind of doubt it. I don't think EA grows heuschkeliana.
How this plant ended up in Maine is beyond me. It was the only one in the group. It was with a bunch of different hoyas. In fact; I picked up hoya Polyneura and Lacunosa that same night.
Isn't this fun?
Still researching *lol*
I can't seem to find a real closeup shot of a heuschkeliana leaf to see if has a notch.
From a distance my plant doesn't look like it has notches but real close up you can see that there is a distinctive notch.
Why am I beginning to think it is a darn dischidia? *lol*
Does heuschkeliana have notched leaves or pointed leaves?
Mine look pointed from a distance but notched close up.
WAAAAAAAAA
Kim
This is mine:
Hard to take a picture of him!!
Something tells me Im gonna regret that bet...:))
:)))
More:
I dont see any peduncles on the plant. D oiantha has very short ones compared to H heusch. I personally think that if it was H heusch, a plant that size would have longer, easily distinguishable pedunces by now. Flowering it is really the only way to know, and it should flower soon at that size, then you'll know for sure.
My D oianthas from a couple of sources dont have red new growth,
Dom
This message was edited Mar 15, 2010 5:11 PM
I think I better just come out of denial and admit to myself that I have a dischidia and not a heuschkeliana *starts sobbing*.
All this time I was SO hoping it would be a heuschkeliana but I really have a bad feeling.
I will let it flower and then;.................I will use it for trading *lol*
Kim
no no...positive thoughts Kim!! Only positive thoughts. He will bloom and be a heuschkeliana. Remember, there's money riding on that plant!!
*lol* that's too cute.
I do think if it was a hoya; I would see penducles by now.
Characteristics are telling me that it's a darn dischidia..........*sniffs*
Kim
I've got a great big healthy EA Hoya carnosa "Rubra" that hasn't even thought of producing peduncles yet...
hmm................so there is.:))
I like Dischidias, but they dont have the same flowers, nor the scents as Hoyas. If space is limited, a Hoys would take precedent.
They do make lovely foliage plants, and given time, I think that plant will be a lovely addition. They can also flower very profusely. Whereas the individual flowers can be tiny, they can flower in great numbers and the flowers are very interesting.
Lin has a lovely one.( and they're better than Peperomias :)) )
Let it flower and time will tell..who knows, if it is a Dischidia, you might just like it and want more.:))
You are so encouraging........thank you so much :)
I will plan on being sure to fertilize her really good in the upcoming weeks.
Can I interest you in a dischidia *lol*
I do want to see it bloom at least once before I get rid of it *lol*
Dischidia just do NOTHING for me *lol*
Theres always a first time, Kim......
I found my plants twin *sniff, sniff*
And the winner is...............dischidia
Scroll to the bottom where Denise post a picture and description. Definitely the plant I have huh?
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hoya/msg0921471032108.html
Dagnabit!!!
Hey....Dischidia aren't all that bad....and here I haven't even been out tot he greenhouse!!!! I have some I just LOVE!!!
Nice plant!!!!
Maybe you could sell it on ebay....didn't see much action there recently....
