thank you very much for the response!
[...below...]

Sean Houtman wrote:

" wrote in
oups.com:

You probably have aphids or mealybugs, both are very common on
tropical hibiscus. What you are seeing is probably not sap, but
insect poop. On another note, sap production is a function of
staying alive, the only thing that would affect its production is
temperature.

Toad


Tanya might also be describing the result of extrafloral nectar that
some plants produce.

these are in the house (no ants) and i have thoroughly inspected them
for pests... (some had spider mites in the past (several years ago) but
i cannot see any now)
also i've tried safer's insecticidal soap (which made them worse)

It is generally used by the plant to feed ants
that would otherwise farm aphids on them. Extrafloral nectar is
generally produced in pit-like glands at the base of leaves, ends of
petioles, or other parts of the plant.

this is the location if the sap -- at the leaf bases (where it attaches
to the leaf stem(?) (i'm defining the leaf stem as the part that
attaches to the branch -- not certain about the term)
appears as a drop of fluid but is really sticky

this is in regards to tropical hibiscus (hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
housePlants most of which i rooted from cuttings; (since 2001)

In addition to extrafloral nectar, some plants will produce fluid
under certain conditions. I refer to a process called 'guttation',
which usually occurs under very high humidity. This fluid is nearly
pure water.

this problem started during the summer... (2004) with higher humidity
(however it has continued through the winter (zone 5))

Sean

i don't think that it is guttation (which afaik feels like water) --
would you know the name of the glands at the leaf base?
is there any other cause of gland activity apart from being used by
ants?
thanks very much again!
sincerely
Tanya
the end result of this is leaf loss and the plant dies...