Mystery unfolding

This is the strangest pedicel, rachis, umbel forming I have ever seen! When you look straight on at the umbel forming, the little buds are steel grey. The pedicel is purple (but new growth on the plant is NOT purplish), and the flowers forming look more like a thistle than a hoya.

I got this hoya 2 years ago from Ed Gilding with the label "H. fraterna?"...and the fact that he had never seen it bloom. The leaves are like H. coriacea so I didn't give to much hope for anything else...until the pedicel formed. I have not a clue...if anyone else does, I would like to know. I have never seen a hoya flower forming like this before....the buds are almost pointed!!!

Wow how strange is that?? I'm curious as to just what you might have there...I'm keeping watch on this thread...maybe once the cluster matures a bit, it'll take on an entirely new look.... Debra~

Wow that is interesting! Can't wait to see what it turns out to be. Bet it's not H. pottsii, LOL!

Amazing Carol, I can't wait to see what the flowers look like.
Christine

Keeping an eye on this one...you certainly have an interesting one on your hands Carol! Ü

I had to take another look at this photo. I'm glad this is yours and not mine because I wouldn't be able to sleep. I would be sacked out on a pallet in the greenhouse. Talk about an exciting looking umbel. I can't wait to see what the flower looks like. Oh yeah, I have the hoya sickness! Does look like thistle doesn't it?

It really fascinates me...I have checked 7 different ways from Sunday and it DOES belong to this plant...and it is NOT a "wierdy" because there are 4 other peduncles/umbels developing and they all look the same.

Look at it this way....The Hoya Gods are tempting...very tempting!!!

LOL Carol

Anything new with this lovely plant? Have the buds flattened out at all? Intrigue..I love it.

The umbel grows..but the pointy-ness does too!!

I am fascinated!!!

Carol

OK...update. 10 days later. The calyx is SO long compared to the buds...I wonder what the flowers will look like. My H. coriacea looks NOTHING like this...(and I have been told this is what it probably is). Still the dark purple peduncle and pedicels....

And another shot.

Thanks for the update Carol, this is getting better all the time! I just went on another site to see if he had Fraterna, and he did, but no flowers. Do you know what colour they'll be? It looks like they might be green-is that possible?
Christine

Oh my! I'm right here with you all! How exciting to find a Hoya that Carol isn't familiar with!!! Thanks so much for allowing us to go on this discovery tour with you! I can't wait to see what's inside those buds!

Karen :~D

As far as I can remember...H. fraterna is a name given to the wrong hoya which happens to be H. meliflua ssp. fraterna, too many want to "short cut" the name to H. fraterna and it is NOT possible. It is also VERY similar, in leaf, to H. coriacea and there is even some confusion in the original publication of H. coriacea where Blume mentions H. fraterna in the same text (or the other way around...I forget). I sent picture of the umbel to Ted Green and he said it looked like H. coriacea to him...but it doesn't look at all like the umbels that form on my H. coriacea (which has been ID'd by Christine Burton). So...this is quite exciting for me. I have gone as far as I can without the plant actually blooming!!! My original plant is 2 years old - producing it's first flowers. I did take cuttings of it and some of the 1 year old cuttings are producing flowers now. They have their own inner schedule!!!!

I was sent a copy of the original publication, in latin, so when it blooms I shall have to dissect it and do the comparison. In lmy next life I am going to collect Sports Cards....easier! LOL

...or action figures....LOL

Is that the one with the big LONG banana shapped leaves?
Marcy

H. meliflua ssp. fraterna...yes. That's the one with the banana shaped leaves. :~)