Ridley's Hoya

Hoya verticillata var. verticillata is native to tropical and subtropical Asia to Samoa. In Bangladesh, among the species of Hoya, it. is selected for the current study because it is the species of Hoya genus on which a very fewscientific investigations have been conducted although it is widely used as  traditional medicines.

Chera pata (Bengali).

Found in terrestrial (primary rain forest, secondary rainforest, coastal forest), shoreline (mangrove forest). Grows mainly in the forest of Dipterocarpaceae as epiphyte on the branches of the trees, or on the rocks, from the sea level up to about 900 m of altitude. It is utilizable in open air in the tropical and subtropical climate zones in very luminious position, from filtered sun light to slight shade. It requires average high temperatures, with lowest winter night ones not under the 15 °C, and regular waterings in summer, and allowing the substratum to dry up before watering again, space in winter, in way to keep it slightly humid.

• Stem - ramified stems.
• Leaves - variable in shape, ovate-elliptic to oblong with acuminate apex and entire margin, on a 0.5-3 cm long petiole, opposite, rarely in verticils of four, fleshy, glabrous, thick when mature, 5-18 cm long, and 3-10 cm broad.
• Flower - erect axillar umbel inflorescences, on a 3-5 cm long peduncle, bearing up 70 flowers, cream white corolla with 5 ovate-triangular lobes with pointed apex, backward curved margins, possibly with sparse tiny hairs above, and crown with ovate segments with white pointed apex having a pink base, and the flowers emit an intense fragrance.
• Fruit - simple, smooth, follicles, 10-18 cm long, and 0.4 cm diameter containing numerous seeds.
• Seed - has more than 20 seeds per flower, with a tuft of silky hairs that favour their dispersion with the wind.

Generative propagation is by seed, and vegetative propagation is by stem cutting.

Alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, triterpenic 3,4-seco acid 3,4-secolup-20(29)-en-3-oic acid, lupeol, lupenone, dihydrocanaric acid, androstanoid, sesquiterpenes.

• Among the Chakma tribe the leaf extract is used externally to alleviate body pain and for the treatment of fever.
• Local people of Rema-Kalenga use the leaf extract for the treatment of jaundice.