Its name is Hoya. This unique and beautiful plant resembles a star. The flowers are clustered in a semicircle and hang with striking colors.
Hoya is one of the native plants of Indonesia. It can also be found in other countries, especially in tropical Southeast Asia. Hoya is often used as an ornamental plant. Its creeping growth makes it look more attractive when hung.
There are 200-300 species of Hoya in the world, with 50-60 species found in Indonesia, including Hoya archboldiana, H. australis, H. cinnamomifolia, H. kerrii, and H. imbricata.
The name Hoya was given by the Scottish botanist Robert Brown in honor of his friend Thomas Hoy. Brown discovered Hoya during his expedition to Asia and Australia in 1798 and included the name Hoya in his book "Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen".
Benefits of Hoya flowers
Hoya was first used as a natural medicine and later became an ornamental plant in Europe in the 18th century and in the United States in the 19th century. Its distribution includes India, Indochina, China, Malesia, Polynesia and tropical Australia. Hoya is used for various ailments such as wounds, skin diseases, coughs, asthma, and as a tonic for postpartum women.
In Indonesia, Hoya is used for stomach aches, coughs, toothaches, venereal diseases, and as an antidote to poison. Hoya also serves as a pollutant absorber and a beautiful ornamental plant. Hoya lacunosa can also be used in cosmetic products to rejuvenate and lighten the skin.
Other species of Hoya, such as H. purpureofusca, H. latifolia, and H. verticillata, are used in traditional ceremonies in Bali and as home decorations in Kalimantan. Hoya coronaria is used as a vegetable in Maluku and West Kalimantan.
Hoya has a high economic value, with prices reaching IDR 500,000 per cutting and IDR 4 million per pot in the local market, and IDR 1.4 million per cutting in the international market.
