Tas. 4397. ; 
HOYA «rpEriALis. 
Imperial Hoya. 
Nat. Ord. AscLEPIADE®.—PENTANDRIA DIGYNIA. 
Gen. Char. Calyx brevis pentaphyllus. Corolla rotata plus minusve alte 5-fida, 
laciniis planis v. reflexis, estivatione valvata. Corona staminea 5-phylla, foliolis 
depressis patentibus vy. plus minusve gynostegio verticaliter adnatis, carnosis an- 
gulo interiore in dentem anthere incumbentem producto. Gynostegium breve. 
- Anthere membrana terminate. Masse pollinis basi affixee, oblong, compresse, 
conniventes, seepius margine pellucida. Stigma muticum cum papilla media 
obtusa v. subapiculatum.  Folliculi leves v. appendiculis instructi, subpolypteri. 
Semina comosa.—Frutices v. suffrutices Indici v. Moluccani, rarissime Africani, 
volubiles, scandentes aut decumbentes, foliis carnosis v. coriaceis v. membranaceis, 
floribus wnbellatis, umbellis extra-avillaribus sepius multifloris. Dene. 
Hoya imperialis; volubilis, ramis petiolis pedicellisque pubescentibus, foliis 
(spithameis et ultra) obovato-lanceolatis coriaceis brevissime acuminatis 
subobscure parallelim venosis, pedunculo foliis longiore flexuoso-pendulo, 
umbella pluriflora, floribus maximis purpureo-fuscis nitidis, corolle lobis 
cordato-triangularibus marginibus axillas versus precipue reflexis fauce 
elevata libera, corone staminez albe foliolis in medio arcte approximatis 
compressis carnosis bilobis lobo exteriore crasso dorso plano, interiore 
dentiformi lobum ext. sequante. 
Hoya imperialis. Lindl. Bot. Reg. 1846, sub. fol. 68. 
Hoya Sussuela. Rowd. Fl. Ind. v.2. p.31? 
Dr. Lindley does not say too much of this plant when he 
remarks, in the place above quoted, “this is the most noble 
climbing plant we have ever seen:” and this was spoken of the 
dried specimens we believe, aided by flowers preserved in spirits. 
With greater truth may it be said of the living plant, now that 
we have had the pleasure to see it exhibited in full flower at the 
Horticultural Féte in the Regent’s Park Gardens (June, 1848), 
where it obtained the highest prize given for new plants, and 
again in the stove of the fortunate possessors of this rarity, 
Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, and Co., at their Exeter Nursery. A 
cluster of its flowers is indeed one of the most striking objects we 
have ever seen; the leaves too are large and handsome. It is a 
Hoya with glossy fleshy leaves of a deep purplish chesnut colour, 
having the expanded flowers full three inches in diameter! ren- 
dered more conspicuous by the ivory-white of the central column 
_Of fructification. It was detected in Borneo by H. Low, Jun., 
Esq., who sent living plants to the Clapton Nursery, where it 
was purchased by Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, and Co. 
_“ Hoya impercalis requires a strong rich soil m order properly 
to bring out its numerous large thick flower-trusses, which are 
SEPTEMBER lst, 1848. 
