Kelly, you're right...there are no internodes on my aus.lisa either...hope it stays this way!....it's like a nice-sized rosette. Karen...so many hoyas have nice shiny leaves...and then there are those that look so dull...especially those with the remarkable venations...the leaves look so dull, but are brilliantly beautiful when wet...it'd be nice to have them always look that way. I wonder why some hoyas have such shiny leaves and others have dull-looking ones. Some of the hoyas, expecially the callistophyllas tend to have leaves that actually look dirty and dull....when washed they look magnificent...but, as soon as the leaves are dry, they look dull again. I'm just wondering if there's something natural that can be sprayed onto the leaves to make them look as gorgeous as they're capable of looking. I'd also try it on the finlaysonii complex...though their leaves aren't as "ugly" as those in the callistophylla complex. I wouldn't use anything that would harm the plants...just enhance their beauty. Sorry, the word "ugly" really isn't the case...they just lack the sheen seen on most hoyas. Do you know what I'm trying to say...I know I can be so dense in trying to explain myself! Best wishes, Patrick

Hi Amber, Pls. bear in mind I did that guess on the ID from description only, w/ no pic. The first pic shows immediately that it's a Pep, not a Hoya.

Thanks, all. Yes, I am surprised at how thin the leaves are, also. I've been giving my plant light, but frequent doses of fertilizer to try and get the leaves a darker green since the leaves look so light colored compared to some of the photos of H. buotii leaves I've seen. The leaves are a much darker green now than they were just a couple of months ago. I don't let this plant dry out much, either. I have to water at least twice a week or it would get bone-dry by the end of the week. Next time I re-pot, I am going to use a heavier soil mix that will hold moisture better. Mike

I think it's a nice photo, Amelia. You certainly have some gorgeous blooms there. I would be super happy to get such charcoal-y flowers out of my publicalyx. :) Your description of the leaves as starting out dark also fits with Mike's RHP postulation. This plant is known for lots of chocolate and wine colored leaves. As Mike says, Black Dragon's leaves are pretty but a very boring flat green. It might not even turn out to be a publicalyx. Also, it doesn't always bloom black either, as some of us have been disappointed to discover. Bloom color can fluctuate wildly depending on the plant's conditions. If you really do have a RHP, it's a very interesting plant in this respect and often shows vivid watercolor splashes of various colors on single flowers, or very different colored blooms right next to each other. Happy growing and thanks for sharing your Hoya story with us!