Hoya hypolasia

Unrooted cutting of Hoya hypolasia.
One node. One or two leaves.

Hoya hypolasia is an unusual Hoya species native to Papua New Guinea, especially prized for its long, heavily textured and distinctly fuzzy foliage.

The leaves are thick and elongated, typically lance-shaped with pointed tips. One of the defining characteristics of the species is its fine pubescence: the leaves and other parts of the plant are covered with short hairs, giving mature foliage a soft grey-green or slightly velvety appearance. Older leaves can become considerably thicker, darker, and more rigid than fresh growth.

The species name hypolasia refers to this characteristic hairiness or woolly texture.

Hoya hypolasia has a well-documented botanical history. Rudolf Schlechter collected the species in northeastern New Guinea in 1908, reportedly growing in forest along the Wabe River near the foothills of the Finisterre Range at approximately 400 meters elevation. He formally published the species in 1913.

Mature plants produce pendent umbels of approximately 15–25 flowers. The flowers are around 2 cm across and are described as pale yellow to greenish-yellow, sometimes with a subtle reddish tint on the outside. The inner portions of the flowers are also noticeably textured or hairy.

Botanical name: Hoya hypolasia Schltr.
Native range: Papua New Guinea
Original collection: Northeastern New Guinea, 1908
First published: 1913
Notable features: Long, thick, distinctly pubescent foliage with a grey-green appearance and pale yellow flowers

Please note that leaf size, thickness, and the degree of visible pubescence can 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 published taxonomic records and publicly available botanical sources. We do not have original wild-collection or provenance documentation for our particular cultivated plant and cannot independently confirm or deny its relationship to the documented wild collections.