Biology:Hoya aldrichii

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Short description: Species of plant

Hoya aldrichii
Hoya aldrichii 2.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Hoya
Species:
H. aldrichii
Binomial name
Hoya aldrichii
Hemsl., 1890[1]

Hoya aldrichii, commonly known as the Christmas Island waxvine, is a species of flowering plant in the Apocynaceae or dogbane family. It is a vine that is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australia n territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean, where it is a common epiphyte in the shrublands of the island's coastal terraces. The specific epithet honours Captain Aldrich, commander of the survey vessel HMS Egeria, which visited Christmas Island in 1887.[2]

Description

Hoya aldrichii is a tall climber. Its stems are glabrous with pale bark. The leaves are elliptical, rounded at the base, entire, acuminate or acute and glabrous; they are 75–150 mm long, 35–60 mm wide, with a 10–15 mm long petiole. The flowers occur in umbels of 15–30, are white through pink to deep purple-pink in colour, and are fragrant at night. The seeds are oblong and about 5 mm long.[2]

Taxonomy

The vine has at times been considered close to, or even synonymous with, H. cinnamomifolia Hook., H. pottsii Traill., and H. diversifolia Blume.[2]

References

Notes

  1. Hemsley (1890).
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Flora of Australia Online.

Sources

Wikidata ☰ Q291238 entry