Full Name & Status Hoya lacunosa ‘Royal Flush’ is the accepted name for a unique cultivar. It was published by Antone Jones in 2009 in Stemma Journal via pdf download as described by Jayson Opgenorth. This publication was distributed in print and established under Article 27 (Brickell et al.), no later than 2012*.
Classification & Origin A selected sport of the species Hoya lacunosa. It was developed through successive vegetative propagation.
Originator Hermann Englemann Greenhouses, Apopka, Florida (Now owned by Costa Farms), and by circumstance, Jayson Opgenorth who was the head grower in charge of general quality control.
Nominant Hermann Englemann Greenhouses
Description Hoya lacunosa ‘Royal Flush’ is alike the species in form. It was selected for the red, purple, and black new growth of both leaves and vines which are also covered in silvering. The silvering itself may be in the common white, or appear a minty silver-blue to the naked eye. High light tends to draw out the silver of ‘Royal Flush’ in the new growth where it is not heavily spotted, but it must already be present in the DNA of the older cuttings order to be promoted.
The inflorescence are .5cm each (pressed flat but not unfurled), and while they are fertile, some have been found without pollinia. In high light they also flush a light red to purple around the corolla. The cultivar is particularly floriferous among lacunosa, which already bloom early and often.
Availability ‘Royal Flush’ is widely available around the world where Hoya is grown. It has become a very popular cultivars of the past decade as is evidenced by its appearance in many top 10 ‘Mina Favoriter’ (My Favorite) lists within the volumes of Hoyatelegrafen, as well as over 1000 Instagram hashtags. It is mass produced by Costa Farms in the United States. Large baskets from box stores especially are not always uniform; and must be assessed for the characteristics of the cultivar in instances of cuttings mixed with Hoya lacunosa, Hoya lacunosa ‘Snow Caps’, or Hoya lacunosa ‘Ruby Sue’.
‘Royal Flush’ must be vegetatively propagated, the name cannot be appended to seedlings of the cultivar.
Sources
Brickell, C.D. & Alexander, C. & Cubey, Janet & David, John & Hoffmann, M.H.A. & Leslie, A.C. & Malécot, Valéry & Jin, Xiaobai. (2016). International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants.
Establishing publication, print circulation by 2012:
Jones,A. (2009). Talking with the experts. Stemma Journal, 3(2)4-11. stemma-v3-2/
Kennedy,J.(2014). Mina favoriter. Hoyatelegrafen nr 2, p.18.
Two additional publications from Hoyatelegrafen Mina Favoriter lists were cited here where they appeared with description and in the instance above was also the second earliest. There are more.
Söderros,S. (2023). Mina favoriter, Hoyatelegrafen nr 2, p.26.
