Human Flower Project

Friday, September 01, 2006

Hoya—All I Want from Christmas

It’s Bird Week on Christmas Island; floral detours allowed.

Christmas Island (the one in the Indian Ocean)

Photo: Earth from Space

Welcome to our newest visitors, from Christmas Island (pop. 1500).

Strange to find out you’re nowhere near the North Pole, but 360 km SW of Java, in the Indian Ocean. (Actually there are two Christmas Islands—the first a territory of Australia, the second one better known as Kiritimati, part of the Republic of Kiribati and likewise without igloos. It’s right near the Equator in the Pacific.)

Of Christmas Island (Australia) 63% is protected land. This national park “contains the last remaining nesting habitat in the world of the endangered Abbott’s booby and also supports the world’s largest remaining robber crab population.” Christmas Island, in fact, claims to have the “most diverse land crab community anywhere.” This site has some fine shots of fauna and flora, including a number of those Cancerians.

There are some 411 plant species on Christmas Island. “18 of these are endemic” and about 125 have been found nowhere else in Australia or its other territories. “28 species are currently considered rare or threatened” including several orchids and the marvelous Hoya aldrichii, its flowers a cluster of waxy stars more dazzling than any holiday ornament.

Hoya aldrichii

Photo: Christmas Island National Park

We weren’t familiar with the Hoyas (except, of course, through Georgetown University athletics). And if they’re new to you make sure to take a look at these flowers via the International Hoya Society. They remind us a bit of Rubik’s cubes—Rubik’s globes, if you will. Here’s one to make reindeer fly: Hoya Publicalyx featured last month in Daniel Mosquin’s knockout Botany Photo of the Day (which makes every day Christmas).

For a bit more on the political history of Christmas Island check here.

Bird Week on the island begins today and should be merry. If you’re in the vicinity, put down your egg nog and go help “biologist Janos Hennicke attach tiny tracking devices” to Abbott’s boobies. And please send us a hoya flower photo, too.