Introduction Ganges Hoya by Dale Kloppenburg The following presentation of mine is an attempt to show that H. verticillata is not synonymous with Hoya acuta ( H . parasitica the non homotypic specimens mentioned by Traill). Sperlingia By Dale Kloppenburg 1 am again trying to resolve all the material relating to the Denmark Herbarium material of VahTs species collected evidently in 1804. For years I have been troubled by the Photocopies of the photos on VahTs sheets labeled Sperlingia opposita 6:1 14 (1804) and Sperlingia verticillata 6:113 (1804), identified by Ruurd van Donkelaar in March 1996 as Hoya parasitica (Roxb.) Wall ex Trail. The foliage and venation of these two species are different and the venation did not appear to me to be like (H. parasitica ) Hoya acuta Haworth. 1 have finally obtained specimen flowers from the Sperlingia material through the kindness of Christy Brink and the Danish herbarium at Copenhagen. For this material I am indeed indebted and appreciative. These have been photographed and the necessary data collected and noted. My conclusion is that these species are different from one another although closely related and are not Hoya parasitica. The following is given in way of background and follow up regarding these species, (see discussion at the end). In my monograph on Hoya Section Acanthostemma (Blume) Kloppenburg 1992 revised 1995, the following appeared: Introduction Under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) a plant can be assigned to taxa of the following ranks below genus and of higher status than species (in descending sequence): subgenus, sectio, subsectio, series, and subseries. To date the Genus Hoya has been subdivided into subgenera and sections. The sectional divisions are established in an attempt to group species with recognizably similar characteristics together. By studying the species in each section it is hoped in this way to delineate as precisely as possible the probable phylogeny, and to bring out the salient structures which indicate relationships. A section is a taxonomic category. Sections if natural have evolved over time just as species or genera have. As a better understanding of the entire complex of Hoya species has grown so too have more sections been defined; several originally as genera in their own right. Eventually many of these genera were incorporated into the genus Hoya. Since they represented a delineated species or group of species it was 1 natural that they were incorporated at the sectional or subgeneric level of this complex genus. Articles #21 and #22 of the ICBN establish the rules for subdivisions of genera. On the 15 of June 1992 1 presented my first study of the “Hoya Sections'’, which included references to the Hoya Section Sperlingia (Vahl) Miquel. Subsequently in January 1993 the first release of a manuscript on this section was completed. Dr. J. F. Veldkamp at the Rijksherbarium at Leiden, The Netherlands made numerous suggestions for corrections and revisions, which were appreciated. A revised edition was completed in January 1994. At the urging of Dr. J. F. Veldkamp I began an in depth study of the literature of each species 1 had included in the Section Sperlingia (Vahl) Miquel. In working on the changes to this latter publication it became apparent to me that some of the species previously thought to be in this Section did not belong there. The major shock occurred when I realized that the genus Sperlingia Vahl on which this section was based by Miquel did not contain bilobed coronal species. The types of Vahl’s two species have been identified by Ruurd van Donkelaar in The Netherlands as being Hoya parasitica Wall, ex Traill. (Thus Section Sperlingia is a synonym of Section Hoya, while *H. verticil lata (Vahl) Don is the correct name for H. acuta Haworth; including H. parasitica Wallich ex Trail). It is apparent to me that Miquel fixed in his mind VahFs description of the corolla for the corona, (see the text and translation on page 3). hi addition confusion probably arose because of the introduction of Rumphius’ t. 175, f. 1, or Nummular ia lactea major adapted as a synonym by several authors, i.e. Rumphius’ Herbarium Amboinensis 5 t.175 fig. 1 . This figure has been placed into synonymy with various species beginning with George Forster (1776), Vahl (1810) and Blume (1826). George Forster and Vahl placed both of these entities into synonymy. Blume, however, did not Include the species under Hoya rumphii s description in 1826, but when he switched his species to Acanthostemma rumphii Blume in 1848 he included Nummular ia lactea major. It seems abundantly clear that the Rumphius’ figure is not a coronal bilobed species. * Since this species was misidentified as Hoya parasitica Wallich ex Trail ( Hoya acuta Haworth this conclusion is no longer valid. Because no section has been designated to house these bilobed coronal hoya species, where they have previously been incorrectly included in the section Sperlingia (Vahl) Miquel, a new sectional description is here presented. 1 have chosen to keep taxonomic continuity by naming this new section Acanthostemma. I had some hesitancy with “Acanthostemma” since ICoorders incorrectly quoted Miquel and referred to an “untersektion Acanthostemma” (though doubtful as a correctly established “subsection”). I did not want confusion to arise over the use of this name for a section. Upon further consultation with Dr. Veldkamp I accepted his premise that the term “Acanthostemma” would best serve by keeping in line with prior usage. Lectotypification for the genus was done by Dr. K. D. Hill in Telopia 3(2): 1988, with Acanthostemma rumphii (BIJ (Hoya rumphii Bl.), as the lectotype. 2 II Section Acanthostemma (Blume) Kloppenburg Section nova: based on Acanthostemma Blume in Rumphia 4 (1848) 49-50. Type species is Hoy a rumphii Blume. Since the German botanist Carl Ludwig Blume had established the genus Acanthostemma, which contains species of the this section, it is well to look at the description of this genus to become more familiar with this section. Genus Acanthostemma Blume was published in Rumphia IV (1848) 29 - 30 as follows: Calyx quinquepartitus. Corolla rotata, quinquefida, laciniis revolutis. Corona staminea pentaphylla, gynostegio abbreviato adnata, foliolis sagittatis carnosis erectis, angulo superiore in dentem antherea incumbentem producto. Antherae membrana stigmati incumbente terminatae. Pollinia basi affixa erecta subdivergentia oblonga compressa, anguste marginata. Stigma apiculatum. Folliculi laeves. Semina plurima, ad umbilicum comosa. — Herba pseudo-parasiticae, late in insulis Asiae tropicae et Nova Guinea dispersae, scandentes radicantes; foliis oppositis vel verticillatis carnosis; umbellis vel racemis umbelliformibus saepe multifloris; floribus parvis fuscis vel dilute purpurascentibus. Translation: Calyx 5 parted. Corolla rotate, pentamerous, with the lobes revolute. Corona of 5 segments, adnate to the short gynostegium, segments sagitate , fleshy, erect, with the superior (inner) angle produced into a tooth, incumbent upon the anther. With the anther terminal membranaceous, incumbent upon the Stigma. Pollinia affixed at the base, erect somewhat divergent, oblong with compressed narrow sides. Stigma apiculate. Follicles (seed pods) smooth. Many seeds with a hairy-tufted umbilicus. Herb, falsely parasitic, widely dispersed in insular Asian tropics and New Guinea; rooting climber, foliage opposite or verticillate (whorled) fleshy; umbels or racemes shaped like umbels often many flowered; with flowers small dark or light (dilute) purplish. The Latin description was copied in Amiales Botanices Systematicae 3 by G. C. Walpers (1852) 64. This new section includes all those species formerly placed and accepted in the genus Acanthostemma Blume in Rumphia 4 (1848) 49-50; and includes all those Hoya species with bilobed corona leaflets (scales). To understand the need for a new section for the bilobed coronal species of Hoya, the following background is presented in chronological order. 1. George Forster in Florulae Insularrum Aqustralium Prodromus (1776)21. 2 . Vahl in Scrivener af Naturhistorie- Selskabet 6(1810) 112-114. 3 . Blume in Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indie 16 (1827) 1065. 3 The common thread here is the species Nummularia lactea major Rumph.. In G. Forster’s work this is misspelled as Numularia. Descriptions for the 3 above are as follows: 1. 128. A. volubilis, arborea volubilis, foliis oppositis cordato-subrotundis integerrimis carnosis: umbellis simplicissimis erectis. F- A. volubilis ? M.S.V. p. 259. n.4. Nansiera- patsia. Rheed. hort. mal. P. IX. p. 21. t. 13. Numularia lactea major. Rumph. amb. V. t. 175 f. 1. Tanna. Note : here Nummularia lactea major Rumphia and Rumphius’ figure are placed into synonymy with Asclepias volubilis. This citation seems to contain a number of species, which have no bearing here except for the citation of the species and figure. 2. Sperlingia 112-113 (This copy was obtained by Dr. J. F. Veldkamp at the Rijksherbarium in Teiden, The Netherlands, from Dr. Bertel Hansen in Denmark.) Publication: Gsribter af Naturhistorie-Gelssabert, Kiabenbavn 1810. Sperlingia 112-113 (This copy was obtained by Dr. J. F. Veldkamp at the Rijksherbarium in Teiden, The Netherlands, from Dr. Bertel Hansen in Denmark’s Copenhagen Herbarium) Sperlingia Botaniken synes Konig Christian den 4 de meget at have yndet. Han stiftede ikke allene ben forste offentlige botaniske have her 1 Landet, men anlangde og en dor fig selb bed Rosenborgs Slot. Til Opseer over benne satte han Otto Sperling. Vel harbenne ikke efterladt fig andet Beviis paa sin kundskab am Vasrter, end bolt en Fortegnelse over Haven ban forestod, Hortus Christianseus Hafn., men hans Samtidge, der vare 1 Stand til at bedomme ham 1 benne henseende, ansaae ham for at vaere vel bedandrit deri. Maskee, ifald han ikke var bleven idbviklet med Corfitz Ulfeld, han havde aflagt Here prover paa sin kundskab. Mange gives, som ikke have bidragt mere, og adskillige mindre til Bidenskabens, Underdelse, end Sperling, after hvilke man har opkaldet planter. Teg troer, att bet saaledes lean indskyldes, at jeg har villet bevare bennes Minde fom Botanist Slasgten, som jeg har benasvnt efter ham, beter ligesom forrige til Contortae, udmaerker far de bvrige Slasgter ved at de aflange kronblade ere baade, hvorved de faae et Udseende, som om de vare dobbelt trekantede, den ene Vinkel indad vendt, de to udad, og liver af disse endende fig I en lidt laengere fremstaaenden Spidse. Saavel Figuren af Nummularia lactea major Rumph. amb. 5. t. 175., som Blomstermaaden og Beskrivelen af koronen, passer saa fuldkommen til de 2de Vaerter, som jeg her leveter beskrevne, at jeg ikke tvivler om, at de hore til benne Slasgt. Teg anseer endog den han kalder Nummularia lactea major tab. 1 75. f. 1 . at va^re samme med den jeg kalder Sperlingia opposita. Character Essentials. 4 Contorta. Nectarium stellula simplex genetilia tegrens. Petala 5, apice marginibusque inflexis triangularia, plana , conduplicata. Verticillata 1. Sperlingia foliis quaterno verticillatis. Habitat in India orientali. Caulis scandens, radicans, lignosus, teres, cortice cinereo, glaber, lasvis. Folia peteolata, remota, quaterno-verticillata, bi-tripol 1 icaria, oblonga, acuminata, acuta, integerrima, camosa, crassa, glabra, avenia, enervia, glabra. Petioli fere pollicares, succulenti, plano-depressa, lati, basi articulati. Pedunculi laterales, teretes, galbri. Flores umbellati, copiosi: pedicel l i pollicares, filiformes, compressi, uniflori. Receptaculum commune, primum hemisphaericum, demum cylindricum, pedunculo parum crassius, e casu pedicellonum conferte cicatricatum. Calyx pentaphyllus: foliola oblonga. Petala quinque, apice margine inflexo conduplicata, triangularia, margine exteriore retuso-subbicorinia: explanta oblonga utrinque acuta. Corpus truncatum stellula quinqueradiata: radii lanceolati, longitudine petalorum complicatorum, cum petalis alternates, medio linea elevata, ad cujus latera foveola longitudinalis, flavescentes, nitidi. Stamina non vidi. Germina duo sub centro copusculi. Folliculus sex-octopollicaris, glabra, laevis. Semina copiosa. (Sperlingia) opposita 2. Sperlingia foliis oppositis. Nummularia lactea major Rumph. Amb. 5 pi. 470. t. 175. f. I. Habitat in India orientali. Ex. herbario bibliothecae Christianiensis. Similis in omnibus praecedenti, diversa: foliis oppositis: petiolis angustioribus, subtus canvexis, supra caniculatis. Translation: (by Dr. Bertel Hansen of the Botanical Museum at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark) ....King Christian the 4th apparently loved botany. Not only did he establish an official Botanical Garden in the county, but he also arranged a private garden at the Rosenborg Castle. To supervise his private garden he employed Otto Sperling. This man did not leave other proof of his knowledge about plants except a mere list (of plants) of the garden, he supervised, in Hortus Christianaeus Hafn.(iensis), but his contemporaries, capable of evaluating him in this connection, considered him to 5 be well founded in this (i.e. knowledge of plants). May be, if he had not been connected with Corfitz Ulfeld (sentenced for high treason), he would have given more examples of his knowledge. Plants have been named after many, who did not contribute more, and several less, to the spread of science, than Sperling. I think it may therefore be excused that I have wanted to preserve the memory (of Sperling as a botanist). The genus, I have named after him, belong as the former to * Contortae, distinguished from the other genera by the elongate petals being in the apex and laterally inflexed hereby appearing double triangular, one angle pointing inwards, two outwards, and each of these terminating in a slightly protruding tip (very hard to imagine; the Latin text is easier). The illustration of Nummular ia lactea major Rumph. amb. 5. t. 175., and the description of the corolla are in close agreement with the 2 plants, 1 describe here, and do not doubt that they belong to this genus. I even consider the one he calls Nummularia lactea major tab. 175. f. 1. to be the same as I call Sperlingia opposita. (bracketed remarks are Dr. Hansen’s) italics are mine (RDK). * f . noun means intertwining as an adjective intricately or obscurely "Dr. Veldkamp (Leiden) refers to the aestivation of the corolla Numularia lactea major Rumph. was placed by Linneas in 'Contorta' Amoen Apend. 4 (1759 1 12" Essential Character. Contort. The simple star shaped nectare covering the genetilia. Petals 5, flat with the triangular apices and margins inflexed, rolled longitudinally (lengthwise). Verticillata 1. Sperlingia, leaves four in a whorl. Habitat, in the East Indies. Branches climbing, rooting, ligneous, round, with grayish bark, glabrous, smooth. Leaves petiolate, remote, four in a whorl. 2-3" long, oblong acuminate, acute, entire, fleshy, thick, glabrous, veinless, without nerves, glabrous. Petioles nearly 1" long, succulent distinctly flattened, wide, base jointed. Peduncles lateral, round glabrous. Flowers umbellate, plentiful. Pedicels 1", filiform compressed, one per flower. Receptacle common, end hemispherical becoming cylindrical, peduncle not very fleshy and devoid of pedicels, densely scared. Calyx pentamerous: leaflets (sepals) oblong. 6 Petals five, apical margines inflexed conduplicate longitudinally, triangular, with the exterior margins notched with 2 horns: outspread oblong both ends acute. Body pentamerous, star shaped: rays lanceolate, petal-like folded longitudinally upon itself, alternating with the petals, elevated along the center line, minutely lined (or furrowed) along the sides, yellowish, shiny (glossy). Without stamens. Two ovaries, glabrous below the center of the body. Fruit (follicle) 6-8" long, glabrous, smooth. Seeds copious. Note : (RDK). Under “petala” and the translation, I believe the apex turns under (reflexed) and the side margins of the corolla lobe are also rolled under (away from the central apical axis). This character is found in Hoy a acuta Haworth (as we now understand it) but the rolled edges are not broadened above the sinuses to the extent that they form conduplicate lobes. Both these areas can exhibit a bi-horned effect from the corolla ends or edges turning under. Hoya mindorensis Schlechter exhibits this characteristic conduplicate structure and the apices also turn under. I know of none of the Acanthostemma species that do this to the extent of forming horns or other projections. It was this “Petal a" description that made me realize that Miquel had evidently assumed Vahl was referring to the corona as “conduplicate”, when in fact it is the corolla here referred to. Opposita 2. Sperlingia leaves opposite. Nummularia lactea major in Rumph. Amb. 5 plate 470 1. 175 figure 1. Habitat in Eastern India. In the Herbarium of Christianiensis. Similar to the proceeding, differs: leaves opposite, petioles narrow, below convex, above keeled. In General System of Gardening, G. Don, 4:128 (1837) Note: The species described are S. verticillata = Hoya verticillata (Vahl) G. Don and S. opposita = Hoya opposita (Vahl) G. Don, as follows: Placed incorrectly in Acanthostemma. H. verticillata. Climbing, rooting; stems terete, glabrous; leaves 4 in whorl, petiolate, oblong, acuminate, acute, fleshy, glabrous, veinless; umbels pedunculate, copious; pedicels compressed, filiform; segments of the corolla triangular, acute at both ends, retusely sub-bicomulate outside, on the outer margin; with inflexed*, conduplicate edges; corona a simple star, covering the genitals, having the lobes equal in length to the segments of the corolla, complicate, lanceolate, with an elevated line in the middle, and a 7 corresponding furrow on the opposite side, yellowish, shinning; follicles 6-8 inches long, glabrous. A woody shrub. Native of the East Indies. Sperlingia verticillata Vahl, in act. soc. hist. hafn. 6. p. 113. Whorled-leaved Hoya. Shrub twining. H. opposita. A woody perennial. Native of the East Indies. Sperlingia opposita , Vahl 1. c. p. 114. Nummular ia lactea major , Rumph. amb. 5. p. 470. 1. 175. f. 1. Very like H. verticillata; but differs, in opposite leaves, the narrower petioles, which are convex beneath, and concave above**; while, in that species, they are flattened and depressed, almost an inch long, succulent, and articulated at the base. Opposite-leaved Hoya, Shrub twining. * I believe the term should be reflexed (edges turned under at the sinus area). ** This implies the peduncle is grooved on the upper side. Vahl used the word caniculate meaning keeled not concave. It should be noted that nothing in the genus description indicates that these species are bilobed coronal species. Nor is there any connection to the genus Acanthostemma Blume except for the citation of the Rumphian figure tab. 175 fig. 1 in Rumph i us' Herbarium Amb. of Nummular ia lactea major . This drawing was placed into synonymy by Vahl with his Sperlingia opposita. This genus was published in the same year that Robert Brown published the Genus Hoya. Hoya, R. Br. in Mem. Wem. Soc. I. (1809) 26. There has been some question as to which genus has priority . D. J. Mebberley, Jupiter Botanicus (Robert Brown of the British Museum) 1985; 168 writes The paper on Asclepiadaceae and the Prodromus were presented by the author to the Linnean Society on 3 April 1810, and the Prodromus was available to the general public on 7 April when it was advertised as for sale in boards at 18s, though Brown sent out at least one copy on 27 March. Brown paid the cost of printing the book, £93.14.4 l Ad. and its advertisement in the Morning post and chronicle ( 12s.) and on the covers of the Botanical magazine and English botany (a guinea each) In March he had ‘"delivered to Miles & Hunter formerly Johnson & Co. [i.e. Joseph Johnson who published works by Erasmus Darwin, Priestley and Cowper] St. Paul’s churchy” 20 copies. In May, Brown sent nine copies, to the Paris botanist - Jussieu, Rene Desfontaines (copy now at Kew), la Billardiere (copy, from Fielding’s library, now at Oxford), Correa, Louis Richard, Baron Ambroise Palisot de Beauvois, Aime Bonpland, Louis du Petit-Thouars and Leschenault. Besides the Linnean copy, he gave away others to Banks, to whom it dedicated, Dryander, Smith, Turner, Lambert, Dickson, Aiton, Ferdinand and Franz Bauer, Konig, MacLeay, Caley, Law of Edinburgh, Jamenson and Trinity College, Dublin”. Discussion (RDK) of G. Don’s works above re these two species of Vahl’s; His descriptions differ from Vahl’s in the following; Since his work was published in 1837, 1 assume he was either writing from Vahl’s description or possibly from seeing the Herbarium material. I doubt the latter since the sheets of Sperlingia show leaf venation vividly, even though the fresh material of Vahl’s did not reveal veins. See copies of the sheets following. 8 For Sperlingia verticillata: “corolla triangular, acute at both ends,” What he is referring to are the corolla lobes with the edges and the apex folded (rolled) under to form a triangle. “corona a simple star, covering the genitals, having the lobes equal in length to the segments of the corolla” nothing in Vahl’s description says the lobes are equal in length to the corolla segments; in fact the coronal lobes actually exceed the corolla sinuses if this is his reference. Corolla lobes are less than 0.20 cm. Whereas the corona lobes "segments" are 0.30 cm long “corresponding furrow on the opposite side” again Vahl did not mention this although in this case, from my Photo observations, this is true. Vahl mentions "minutely lined along the sides" (sulcate); this is a key taxonomic character not present on all hoya species. G. Don did not mention it. For Sperlingia opposita: The petiole “which are convex beneath, and concave above;” Vahl says convex beneath above keeled, not concave above. Actually the leaf petioles of Sperlingia verticillata is grooved above (concave) and S. opposita leaf is not grooved on the attachment side. Interesting side notation in correspondence with Dr. J. F. Veldkamp: Dr. Bertel Hansen of Copenhagen sent me a translation of Vahl’s discussion on the derivation to Sperlingia, which 1 enclose here. In a later, letter he noted that the two specimens Vahl had were collected by a missionary called Floer. The Index Herbariorum, Index lo Collectors 2, notes a Peter Johan Flohr, who collected in Tranquehar (East coast of the Deccan Peninsula, S. India) between 1760—1777. His specimens are in C, so he must be the same man. This means that the specimens are originally Indian, and their identity must be sought among Indian species, about which much more below. The Danes had a number of missionaries collecting plants there, better known ones were Koenig, Klein, and Rottler. He is still tracing the original publication date of VahPs paper. It must have been ‘some date in 1810. 9 1 ■* bLufttuah H ■■Cir'iFr.'u m 1-jnvnl Spectmlrta orlglneJlft + !■ Prrtuji^ M. VAHL Copy of the Type sheet cover for Vahl’s Sperlingia verticillata. Vahl in: Skr. Naturhist. Selsk. 6:113 (1804) 1810. Housed at the Danish Herbarium at Copenhagen (C). 10 Sheet of Sperlingia verticillata Vahl, #72 II. 6-2. Annotated by R. v. Donkelaar March 1996 as Hoya parasitica (Roxb.) Wall, ex Trail. Note 4 leaves from closely packed nodes (2). Vahl toyed with the name “tetraphylla” then chose “verticillata”, meaning whorled. 11 J 160 Another sheet of Sperlingia verticillata Vahl. #72 III. 6-2. Again with 2 pairs of leaves from closely packed node (2). This sheet not here annotated. Note the leaf 12 venation on both these sheets and compare with that of H. acuta Haworth ( Hoya parasitica). Scanned leaf actual size from Sperlingia verticillata Vahl. Note the reticulate venation, a long petiole with a groove on upper side. Apex of leaf here missing, (others short, tapered, acute). This leaf measures 7.5 cm and in the middle 3.1 cm wide with a slight edge roll under. Petiole is 1.5 cm long; grooved on the upper side where there is a leaf gland at the attachment on the upper side. Photomicrographs from a Type flower and data follow: Photo of the dried flower enlarged about 8X. Pedicel: terete, filiform 1.65 cm long and 0.04 cm in diameter, glabrous, yellow, curved. Corolla upper surface densely pubescent. Coronal lobes exceed the corolla sinuses. Note the distinct keeled dorsal surface of the coronal scales. Bottom view of the same flower enlarged about 8X. Calyx is small broadly triangular with a rounded apex and a few cilia. Acute coronal lobes project beyond the coronal sinus. Corolla underside is glabrous but granulose. Note the conduplicate (ears) on the coronal sinus area. Sepals do not reach the corolla sinuses. Outside surface of the calyx and pedicel enlarged about 8X. Sepals membranous, overlap is about 1/3, base broad apex rounded; do not come near the corolla sinuses. Calyx outside glabrous but punctate. Inside glabrous, waxy appearing. Center - apex 0. 14 cm 13 Inside view of the calyx enlarged about 8X. Note the shape of the sepals. Edges with an occasional cilia, ligules at the bases, small dark colored, swollen. Apex - base 0. 12 cm Base 0.10 cm wide. Corolla outside view enlarged about 8X. This surface is glabrous with deep cut lobes, lobes folding under ear-like near the sinuses. Center raised in a oval 0.14 cm x 0.11 cm adjacent area slightly sunken and thinner in texture. Although flattened here the lower right lobe shows the conduplicate nature of this corolla (wide at the sinus and reflexed). Inside view of the corolla enlarged about 8X. Inside is densely pubescent except for a small triangular apical area. Center is raised around a slightly sunken area which is thinner texture. Sinus - sinus Sinus - center Sinus - apex Apex - center flattened is 0.90 0.27 cm 0.20 cm 0.33 cm 0.45 cm, flower in diameter. Bottom view of the corona enlarged about 8X. One removed. The lower side is tightly channeled Scale outer apices are long drawn out tapering to a very acute apex. Short column in the center. 14 Top view of the corona enlarged about 8X. The inner lobes are raised and shortly spatulate and does not quite reach the center. Outer apex acute; dorsal is keeled from apex to apex. Anther wing very narrow. Center - apex 0.30 cm Apex - apex 0.28 cm Widest 0.12 cm Anther wing- aw. 0.11 cm Side view of a coronal scale enlarged about 16X. Scale is about horizontal with the inner spatulate lobe raised. I believe this scale has narrow side lobes since the apex seems to be emarginate but it is difficult to determine with certainty. E Stylar crown enlarged about 32X. The crown is raised, narrow and with a small mealy capitate head, from a rather thin pentamerous base. Retinaculum enlarged about 165X. length shoulder waist hips extensions 0.18 mm 0.10 mm 0.05 mm 0.06 mm 0.05 mm or maybe none. Translators length 0.05 mm depth 0.04 mm Pollinia enlarged about 165X. Remember this is from a plant probably mounted in 1804, so it is nearly 200 years old. Here it is a bit distorted but we can see there is a rather wide vacuole in from the pellucid edge and the pollinia is rather wide for its length, length 0.39 cm widest 0.18 cm I suppose the pollinia actually may measure slightly longer. All the measurements here are smaller than any of the Hoya acuta Haw. group, that I have grown or collected 15 and studied. Data on all pollinaria will be presented further on. The Pollinarium measurements fit no other known hoya species familiar to me. Now a presentation of VahTs Sperlingia opposita: 16 fittNiVi iii£ uri 1 | uti ei I e i lh i (if Valil's Sperlhigin Ninel's. ] In 1 I * ' V t Copy of the Type sheet cover for Vahl’s Sperlingia opposita Vahl in: Skr. Naturhist. Selsk. 6:114 (1804) 1810. Housed at the Danish Herbarium at Copenhagen (C). 17 Sheet of Sperlingia opposita Vahl, #72 II. 4-5. Annotated by R. v. Donkelaar March 1996 as Hoya parasitica (Roxb.) Wall, ex Trail. 18 Sperlingia opposita Vahl. Leaf from Holotype sheet, elliptic-lanceolate apex rostrate, base somewhat cuneate, petiole not grooved above, with basal gland, margins turned under slightly, venation pinnate anastomosing, typically 9.5 cm long and 3.5 cm at the widest near the center. Leaf shape and size very uniform. 7 side nerves netted and looping, midribs not prominent. Glabrous all over. Leaf actual size, top view, with short thick peduncle may be broken off. 0.8 cm long. Ovate- lanceolate, apex acuminate. Petiole is not narrower than H. verticillata as G. Don stated. Photomicrographs and data Follow: Side view of the pedicel and calyx enlarged about 8X. Pedicel: terete, filiform, 1.65 cm long x 0.04 cm in diameter, glabrous, yellow, curved. Ovaries: domed 0.12 cm tall. Calyx: broadly ovate with a few cilia, membranous; at base overlapped about 1/3 (0.05 cm) length 0.15 cm, base 0.12 cm, dark ligules present. Flower folded enlarged about 8X. Coronal lobes extend from the sinuses of the corolla. Calyx does not hug the corolla. Lhis surface glabrous. 19 Outside surface of the corolla enlarged about 8X. Surface is glabrous and finely granulose, with a central collar 0.05 cm tall. Corolla lobes are deeply cut. The sinus lobes are conduplicate. Inside surface of the corolla enlarged about 8X. This surface is puberulose. There is a central collar here also raised 0.05 cm high. Sinus - sinus 0.20 cm Sinus - center 0.17 cm Sinus - apex 0.30 cm Apex - center 0.40 cm Flower diam. flattened 0.90 cm Widest 0.27 cm From the sinus to widest portion of coronal lobe is 0.15 cm and from there to the apex is 0.18 cm Inside view of the flower enlarged about 8X. Corolla cut into five lobes very deeply cut (more than A way). Coronal lobes exceed the sinuses of the corolla. Corolla is very wide just outwardly from the sinuses and curve under to form the conduplicate folds referred to by Vahl. Corona outer apex long tapered acute, keeled down the center, inner apex shortly spatulate; channeled below in toward the center, diagonally sulcate, narrow side lobes seem not to reach the apex. Apex - apex Apex - center Widest Anther wing - aw. 0.25 cm 0.30 cm 0.12 cm 0.13 cm 20 Pollinarium enlarged about 165X. This is a short, wide pollinia. (A extraneous skin cell? membrane at the base) Retinaculum is turned a little on its side. The arrow below is 1 mm long and the top l A mm wide for comparison. Again as in Hoy a verticillata (Vahl) Don the pollinia is very wide and short, apex truncate, also a wide vacuole. Pollinia length widest Retinaculum length shoulder waist hip extensions Translator length width 0.43 mm 0.16 mm 0.15 mm 0.10 mm 0.05 mm 0.07 mm 0.05 mm 0.07 mm 0.02 mm The retinaculum is very distinct here, translators are fiddle-form and the caudicles are barely visible, covering the end of the pollinia and to the left just visible and translucent. The retinaculum seems to have no differentiated dark extensions but the structure is there below. Shoulder, waist and hip areas clearly discernable. 21 Discussion: Are the two species the same or different ? If different do they constitute two species or one variable species ? The similarities are : leaves of similar venation, flowers upon drying both inflex and the acute apices of the corona project between the corolla sinuses. The pollinarium retinaculum are very close in size and shape and both have undeveloped extensions. There are numerous differences : Teaves of H. opposita are slightly larger, texture appears to be heavier, the apex is different shape and the pedicels are different. See chart below. The coronal inner surfaces are also different. Here are some of my findings: 1) Vahl’s two species (verticillata and opposita) are not identical. 2) Neither are Hoya acuta (H. parasitica.) 3) Corona and corolla of S. verticillata are smaller than H. acuta (H. parasitica) 4) Coronal scales dorsal surface is keeled vs. concave. 5) Corolla inner surface is pubescent vs. glabrous (by all early accounts). 6) Leaves are much smaller 5-7.5 cm x 3.1 cm vs. 7.5 - 17. x 3.7-7.5 cm 7) Leave nervation 5-7 pairs anastomosing netted vs. 3-5 tuplinerved. 8) Corolla conduplicate (rolled at the sinuses) vs. not conduplicate. 9) Calyx small broadly triangular vs. linear. 10) Pollinia shorter 0.39 mm vs. 0.48 mm The keeled coronal scales are like some Philippine species but so far I can not find an Indian species from that area (E. India nor Deccan Peninsula S. India). 22 Hoya opposita Hoya verticillata Foliage: 9.5 cm x 3.5 cm widest near the middle, texture thicker (nervation not as distinct), ovate- elliptic apex rostrate, base narrower. Glabrous. 7.5 cm x 3.1 cm widest near the middle, leaf edge sharp and rolled under slightly, ovate elliptic apex acute, midrib with 2 basal nerves, looping extending ±!4 way up leaf, 7 lateral pairs of looping, very netted nerves, Glabrous. Petiole: 1.5 cm long Pedicle: terete, filiform 1.65 cm long x 0.04 cm in diameter, glabrous. Calyx: broad ovate 1/3 overlap at base 0.12 cm x base 0.10 cm; ligules present. 0.8 cm long Same broadly ovate with a few cilia, membranous 1/3 overlap at base, 0.15 cm long x base 0.12 cm, dark ligules present. Corolla: outside finely granulose, inside puberulous with center collar. sinus - sinus 0.20 cm 0.27 cm sinus - center 0. 1 7 cm 0.20 cm sinus - apex 0.30 cm 0.33 cm apex - center 0.40 cm 0.45 cm widest 0.27 cm Corona: apex - apex 0.25 cm 0.28 cm apex - center 0.30 cm 0.30 cm. widest 0. 1 2 cm 0.12 cm aw. - aw 0.13 cm 0.11 cm Pollinarium: outside granulose, inside densely pubescent with center collar. 23 Pollinia length 0.43 mm 0.39 mm widest 0.16 mm 0.18 mm Retinaculum length 0.15 mm 0.18 mm shoulder 0.10 mm 0.10 mm waist 0.05 mm 0.05 mm hip 0.07 mm 0.05 mm ext. 0.05 mm 0.06 mm Translator length 0.07 mm 0.05 mm widest 0.02 mm 0.04 mm 2