What is "hoya carnosa"

Wax \Wax\, n. [AS. weax; akin to OFries. wax, D. was, G. wachs, OHG. wahs, Icel. & Sw. vax, Dan. vox, Lith. vaszkas, Russ. vosk'.]

1. A fatty, solid substance, produced by bees, and employed by them in the construction of their comb; -- usually called beeswax. It is first excreted, from a row of pouches along their sides, in the form of scales, which, being masticated and mixed with saliva, become whitened and tenacious. Its natural color is pale or dull yellow.

   Note: Beeswax consists essentially of cerotic acid (constituting the more soluble part) and of myricyl palmitate (constituting the less soluble part).

2. Hence, any substance resembling beeswax in consistency or appearance. Specifically:

   1. (Physiol.) Cerumen, or earwax. See Cerumen.

   2. A waxlike composition used for uniting surfaces, for excluding air, and for other purposes; as, sealing wax, grafting wax, etching wax, etc.

   3. A waxlike composition used by shoemakers for rubbing their thread.

   4. (Zo["o]l.) A substance similar to beeswax, secreted by several species of scale insects, as the Chinese wax. See Wax insect, below.

   5. (Bot.) A waxlike product secreted by certain plants. See Vegetable wax, under Vegetable.

   6. (Min.) A substance, somewhat resembling wax, found in connection with certain deposits of rock salt and coal; -- called also mineral wax, and ozocerite.

   7. Thick sirup made by boiling down the sap of the sugar maple, and then cooling. [Local U. S.]

   8. any of numerous substances or mixtures composed predominantly of the longer-chain saturated hydrocarbons such as the paraffins, which are solid at room teperature, or their alcohol, carboxylic acid, or ester derivatives. Japanese wax, a waxlike substance made in Japan from the berries of certain species of Rhus, esp. Rhus succedanea. Mineral wax. (Min.) See Wax, 2 (f), above. Wax cloth. See Waxed cloth, under Waxed. Wax end. See Waxed end, under Waxed. Wax flower, a flower made of, or resembling, wax. Wax insect (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of scale insects belonging to the family Coccid[ae], which secrete from their bodies a waxlike substance, especially the Chinese wax insect ( Coccus Sinensis) from which a large amount of the commercial Chinese wax is obtained. Called also pela. Wax light, a candle or taper of wax. Wax moth (Zo["o]l.), a pyralid moth ( Galleria cereana) whose larv[ae] feed upon honeycomb, and construct silken galleries among the fragments. The moth has dusky gray wings streaked with brown near the outer edge. The larva is yellowish white with brownish dots. Called also bee moth. Wax myrtle. (Bot.) See Bayberry. Wax painting, a kind of painting practiced by the ancients, under the name of encaustic. The pigments were ground with wax, and diluted. After being applied, the wax was melted with hot irons and the color thus fixed. Wax palm. (Bot.)

      1. A species of palm ( Ceroxylon Andicola) native of the Andes, the stem of which is covered with a secretion, consisting of two thirds resin and one third wax, which, when melted with a third of fat, makes excellent candles.

      2. A Brazilian tree ( Copernicia cerifera) the young leaves of which are covered with a useful waxy secretion. Wax paper, paper prepared with a coating of white wax and other ingredients. Wax plant (Bot.), a name given to several plants, as:

         1. The Indian pipe (see under Indian).

         2. The Hoya carnosa, a climbing plant with polished, fleshy leaves.

      3. Certain species of Begonia with similar foliage. Wax tree (Bot.)

         1. A tree or shrub ( Ligustrum lucidum) of China, on which certain insects make a thick deposit of a substance resembling white wax.

         2. A kind of sumac ( Rhus succedanea) of Japan, the berries of which yield a sort of wax.

         3. A rubiaceous tree ( El[ae]agia utilis) of New Grenada, called by the inhabitants ``arbol del cera.''

            Wax yellow, a dull yellow, resembling the natural color of beeswax.

Hoya carnosa, the porcelainflower or wax plant, is an Asclepiad species in the dogbane family ( Apocynaceae). It is one of the many species of Hoya that are native to Eastern Asia and Australia. It is a common house plant grown for its attractive waxy foliage, and sweetly scented flowers.

The flowers are typically light pink, but may vary from near-white to dark pink; they are star-shaped, and are borne in clusters that look like tiny wax miniatures. The surface of the flowers are covered in tiny hairs giving a fuzzy sheen to them. They are heavily scented and may produce excess nectar that drips from the flowers. Like all Hoyas, this species flowers from specialized perennial structures referred to as spurs. These appear from the axils of the leaves and stem; flowers may not be produced when the spurs first appear, but in time buds emerge from the tips. Each season new flowers are produced on these same spurs, so they should not be damaged or removed.

H. carnosa has been in cultivation for more than 200 years and has given rise to many cultivars that vary in foliage form or flower color.

Recent studies at the University of Georgia have shown H. carnosa to be an excellent remover of pollutants in the indoor environment.