Botany: Two New Hoya Species From Tropical Plant Genus Discovered

New findings published in the open-access journal PhytoKeys discuss the discovery of two new tropical plant species from the Hoya genus.

The first plant discussed includes H. ruthiae, described as having a lack of colored milk-like sap typical for those of the Hoya species. It was discovered by Ruth Kiew in Sabah in 2000 and named after the tropical botanist based at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia, with a preference for growing on limestones.

So far, it has only been found in the Malaysian state, and because of this, officials are still uncertain of it conservation status. Now the plant species is categorized as Data Deficient following the IUCN guidelines and with widely available cultivation, according to a press release.

The other plant species, H. bakoensis, is one that prefers to grow and root inside of ant nests without causing any harm to its host. It was just discovered in 2015 and named after its locality in the Bako National Park in Malaysia. This plant prefers shady, moist kerangas heath forests near streams, mostly sprouting seedlings inside hollow tree trunks. Lastly, because of smaller flowers on the plant, H. bakoensis can be recognized over similar relatives.

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