Hoya kerrii is a species of Hoya

Hoya

Hoya is a genus of 200-300 species of tropical plants in the family Apocynaceae , fomerly considered to be in the Asclepiadaceae...

 native to the south-east of Asia. It is dedicated to Arthur Francis George Kerr

Arthur Francis George Kerr

Arthur Francis George Kerr was an Irish medical doctor. He is known particularly now for his botanical work, which was important for the study of the flora of Thailand....

, british physician, plants collector and author of books about botany.

As the thick leaves are heart-shaped, the plant is sometimes named "Lucky-heart". In Europe, it is sold for Saint Valentine's Day.

Its origine area is South China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

, Laos

Laos

Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

, Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

, Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 and Indonesian island of Java.

Description

Hoya kerrii is a climbing plant up to 4 meters high. Stems have a diameter of 7 mm. They bear heart-shaped leaves, 6 cm width, 5 mm thick.
Adult plants show inflorescenses of 5 cm diameter and up to 25 flowers. They produce small balls of nectar, from dyed red to brown. They smell only faintly or not at all.

Taxonomy

The species was described in 1911 by William Grant Craib for the first time. A specimen was collected by Arthur Francis George Kerr

Arthur Francis George Kerr

Arthur Francis George Kerr was an Irish medical doctor. He is known particularly now for his botanical work, which was important for the study of the flora of Thailand....

 1910 in or 1911 in the mounts Doi Suthep

Doi Suthep

Doi Suthep , is a mountain located in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.-Description: Doi Suthep is one of the twin peaks of a granite mountain located west of Chiang Mai, the other peak is known as Doi Pui and is slightly taller .Doi Suthep is located 15 km away from Chiang Mai city centre.Most...

 west of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...

 (Northern Thailand) in 390 m height above sea level. It was transplanted to the Kew Gardens

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...

where it flourished in August 1911.

External links

• http://www.myhoyas.com/kerrii.htm
• http://www.hoyor.net/en/showspecies.php?id=72
• http://hoyas.ca/gal/hoya-kerrii