Scale like matter and dark spots on Lipstick Petiole

Question

I found this scale like matter on my leaves and i noticed they have been droopy lately. There is also tiny black things on almost every petiole.

Answer 1

I do see something odd on the leaves - the ones to the right seem to have some sort of greyish fuzzy deposit; whether the underside also shows that crack or line visible in the one you're holding, I can't tell. There may also be something grey and fuzzy surrounding what looks like a growth bud at the bottom of the leaf petiole on the left, with corky brown marking above it, but the picture does not magnify sufficiently well to see it clearly.

The trouble is, I'm not sure whether it's a fungal problem, an insect problem, or both, so I'd suggest you take a magnifying glass and inspect the plant thoroughly, homing in on areas that look suspicious or unhealthy. Thrips, spider mite, mealybug and scale are all possible on these plants, though there is no obvious scale infection from what I'm seeing in the picture. Botrytis blight, a fungal infection, can also be a problem - that causes black spots and lesions, but not necessarily fuzzy fungal growth. Further information here https://smartgardenguide.com/lipstick-plant-care/

Answer 2

It looks like the kind of accumulation that happens when a plant is spritzed/sprayed with water that contains something in suspension. Note how the brown fuzzies are in the sharp angular crook of a petiole and stem, where sprayed on moisture is likely to accumulate and hang around after the rest of the plant dries off. If you spritz it regularly check inside the spritzer bottle and see if you have years of gunk stuck to the bottom of the spray bottle. It could be old wettable powder fungicide or various foliar feeds or other fertilizers.

Answer 3

I only see at the petiole either auxilary bud, stipule, flower bud, all normal part of a growing plant. No scale. Other than that I see dust. Dirty plants will attract pest like spider mite. I suggest you also inspect the roots. If the plant looks overall unhappy, most problems start in the soil. Often plants that are unhappy/unhealthy, attract predators. Also think about the overall care you have to give the plant. How often do you or do you need to water? How quickly does it get dirty or you have to clean it off? Is it packed against other plants? Is there a breeze?
All question to think about, before making any assumptions the problem starts at the petiole. If there is problem like, bugs what do you have to do to keep them away. Inspecting the leaves as you are doing is a great step in the right direction, I just don't want you to stop there.