Hoya papaschonii

Unrooted cutting of Hoya papaschonii.
One node.

Hoya papaschonii is an unusual Hoya species from southern Thailand, notable for its thin lance-shaped foliage, shrubby growth habit, and exceptionally unusual flower structure.

Unlike the thick, succulent leaves associated with many Hoyas, the leaves of Hoya papaschonii are relatively thin and flexible. The original botanical description records mature leaves at approximately 7–12 cm long and 2–4 cm wide, with a pointed tip and clearly visible pinnate venation.

Hoya papaschonii is also unusual in growth habit. Rather than behaving like a typical climbing Hoya, it was described as an epiphytic shrub, placing it alongside species such as Hoya multiflora and Hoya praetorii.

The flowers are perhaps the most fascinating part of the species. They are white to cream, tubular at the base with narrow spreading lobes, and generally appear in small clusters. When Hoya papaschonii was formally described, its corona was considered unique within Hoya: in addition to the usual staminal structures, it has five distinct interstaminal corona lobes — a combination that had not previously been documented in the genus.

The species was formally described by botanist Michele Rodda in 2014 from material originally collected near Betong in Yala Province, southern Thailand.

It was named for Thai Hoya collector and enthusiast Papaschon Chamwong, who sent material of the unidentified plant to Singapore Botanic Gardens in 2012 for identification. An earlier herbarium collection from the same area, dating to 1999, was later recognized as the same species.

At the time of its description, Hoya papaschonii was known from only two collections in Betong District, where it had been found growing epiphytically in evergreen forest.

Botanical name: Hoya papaschonii Rodda
Native range: Thailand
Documented locality: Betong District, Yala Province, southern Thailand
First published: 2014
Named for: Papaschon Chamwong
Notable features: Thin lance-shaped leaves, shrubby rather than strongly climbing growth, white-cream flowers, and an exceptionally unusual corona structure

Please note that leaf size, shape, and spacing may vary as the plant matures and under different growing conditions.

A note about this plant: Species-level botanical and historical information above is based on the original published species description and current taxonomic records. We do not have original wild-collection or provenance documentation for our particular cultivated plant and cannot independently confirm or deny its connection to the documented Betong collections.