Author : Sasanti Widiarsih

Summary : Hoyas are increasingly gaining popularity as ornamental crops worldwide, however they are still considered under-utilized species and many were just recently cultivated from its natural habitat. The knowledge on identification the different Hoya species is still fragmentary. Hoya mindorensis is an endemic species of the philippines. The H. mindorensis collection at the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) varies in flower size, flaring of outer corona lobes, color, hair density on corolla, and leaf shape. This study aimed to develop a preliminary descriptor list and to characterize H. mindorensis collection using morphological and molecular markers. It also aimed to develop appropriate DNA extraction method and optimal PCR protocol for H. mindorensis. Results proved that the different clusters in H. mindorensis accessions have morphological similarities in leaf texture, top corona margin and upper corona lobe apex color. Accession #05,12, and 13 were closely related and can be separated into a different sub-group based on the morphological data, however accession #12 is so different from accession #05 and 13 based on molecular data. Based on the overall morphological performance, four accessions (#05,09,11 and 12) can be mass propagated for commercialization, while some accessions (#02,03,and 10) have great potential as parent materials for future improvement in H. mindorensis and other Hoya species.