Bulletin of the Orchid Society of Canberra, Inc.

Transcription

1 Bulletin of the Orchid Society of Canberra, Inc. GPO Box 612, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia Volume 19, Number 2 March-April 2004 Regular monthly meetings Monthly meetings of the Society are held on the first Wednesday of each month (except January) at the Canberra Senior Citizens Club (10 Watson St., Turner). Meetings commence at 8:00pm with the library and trading table open from 7:30pm. 3 March th Anniversary Celebration for the Orchid Society of Canberra. 7 April Tupec Otaro from the CSIRO will present a talk on mycorrhizal fungi what they are, how they live and what they mean to growing orchids. 5 May Jane Wright will talk on, Orchid hunting in Peru and Ecuador. 2 June Annual General Meeting and talk to be announced. From the President I have just returned from my orchid-hunting trip to South America, and can assure you that it was a wonderful experience. I took an enormous number of photos, some of which I will show at the May meeting. However, I warn you that I may talk your ear off if you ask me about the trip! One of the best things about the trip was seeing the plants I grow, in the wild. It will be invaluable to me in creating the right conditions for my plants. One outstanding lesson was that Stelis species grow in a wide range of habitats. I have always grown (coddled?) my Stelis species as pleurothallids that require constant moisture and cool temperatures. Well, I did see some species growing in that kind of environment. But I also some plants growing in a desert, under the harshest conditions imaginable. Moral of the story is that the key to success is to understand where the plants come from and what kind of microhabitat they need. Annual Subscriptions: Single $25, Joint $30, Junior $5. Orchid Events in Canberra 6-7 March The Horticultural Society of Canberra Autumn Show. Another chance to show and look at orchids! Details of the orchid classes and how to enter plants inside. Orchid Events Of Interest In The Region An Orchid Weekend will be hosted by the Eurobodalla Orchid Club at the Luhana Motel, Moruya on Sat 20 March and Sun 21 Mar Ray Clements of Tinonee Orchids and David Banks from Hills District Nursery will be the speakers. Ray will be talking on Australian Native Orchids and David on Orchid Species. There will be two sessions on Saturday and one on Sunday morning. The cost is $40-00 which will include morning and afternoon teas and a BBQ lunch both days. There will be dinner on Saturday night at the Moruya Bowling Club which will be at your own expense. Further details will be available at the March meeting or by phoning Robyn Noel on Sydney International Orchid Fair April 2004, Castle Hill Showground. A great opportunity to buy plants from a number of vendors. New Members We are pleased to welcome Xavier Sirault as a new member of the Society. Committee Members President- Jane Wright Vice President- Robert Rough Treasurer- Robyn Noel Secretary- Brian Leedham Robert Bush Barbara Corsini Yvonne Day David Judge Gerlinde Lenz Committee meetings On the WED in the week following the general meeting at the home of: March: Brian Leedham April: Robyn Noel May: Bob Bush Disclaimer 2003 The Orchid Society of Canberra, The Orchid Society of Canberra disclaims liability for any loss, financial or otherwise caused as a result of the contents of this Bulletin 1

2 Minutes of general meetings MINUTES OF GENERAL MEETING 4 February 2004 Attendance 54 Members, 5 Apologies, 1 Visitor. In the absence of President Jane Wright (overseas) Vice President Robert Rough opened the meeting at 8.12 pm, and welcomed all present. Minutes of Previous Meetings The Minutes of the meeting on 5 November 2003 were approved on the motion of Bob Evans, seconded by Bill Osmand. SECRETARY S REPORT Presented by Brian Leedham Newsletters OSNSW (Nov 4 Jan); Sapphire Coast (Nov and Jan); Gosford (Nov & Jan); Wagga (Oct & Nov); Campbelltown (Oct & Nov); Albury/Wodonga (Dec); Eurobodalla (Nov); ANOS Macarthur Group (Nov and Dec/Jan); Miriam Ann Orchids (Nov & Dec). Publications Orchids AOS (Sept & Oct); The Orchid Digest (Oct/Dec); Orchids Australia (Dec); The Orchadian (Dec); The Alpine Gardener (Dec); The Orchid Review (Nov/Dec); Orchids South Africa (2003); Australian Orchid Review (Dec/Jan); Sichuan Alpine Ecology Study (Summer 2003). Catalogues: P&R Orchids (sale of stock plants). Correspondence Eurobodalla (Invitation to Workshop 20/21 March); Griffin Centre (Invoice for Membership- and notice of adjourned AGM); OSNSW South and West Regional Judging Panel (request for advice on judges required for our Spring Show); Morshead Home (request for assistance in providing recreational activities for their residents- and their addition to our mailing list); AOF (seeking donations and listing projects in process- also indicating preliminary responses to the survey on orchid cultural problems). The Secretary s report was accepted on the motion of Sandra Corbett, seconded by Ben Wallace. TREASURER S REPORT Presented by Robyn Noel. The balance at the bank was $ Robyn noted that there was very little action in the financial area through January. There were some outstanding bills to pay, but the Society was in a good financial position. The Treasurer s report was accepted on the motion of Yvonne Day, seconded by Bob Wilson. OTHER MATTERS Robert Rough drew the attention of members to the following matters coming up over the next few weeks. The Orchid and Jazz evening on Saturday 7 February at the Botanical Gardens. Members should arrive by about 5.30 p m to 6 p m, and bring food, drink, and chairs or rugs to sit on. The Horticultural Society Show on 6/7 March. This is a combined Horticultural and Orchid Show for Autumn. SPEAKER Ben Wallace was our speaker. Ben spoke on the recent re-classification of Australian native dendrobiums. Apparently there is only one Australian orchid previously known as Dendrobium (it grows on Cape York Peninsular) which retains the species name Dendrobium. All others have either been transferred to other species names, or been given new names. I do not intend to even attempt to clarify the position in these Minutes. Interested parties should obtain listings, or correlations, from other sources. Apparently these have been printed in recent editions of The Orchadian. Ben was able to provide slides of many of the orchids concerned. I suspect that there will be a considerable period during which pre-existing names will continue to be used, as the new nomenclature gains more exposure. Raffle : Won by Mark Fraser, Bob Osmand, and John Growder. Door Prize : Won by David Judge The meeting closed at p m. From the Sales Table If you need supplies between meetings, you can call Jane Wright ( , 135 Osburn Drive, Macgregor) who has the full range of products except bark, which you can get from Laurie Woods ( Robyn Noel ( ) and Mark & Sandra ( ) also have limited stocks. New in the Library Orchids Australia - December 2003 In his Selected Species series, Peter Taylor describes Trichopilia suavis, his favourite of the 30 species of the genus Trichopilia. Cultivation notes are provided. The manager of the National Capital Botanical Gardens in Port Moresby, Wolfgang Bandisch, discusses orchid surveys and collections undertaken recently in the highlands of PNG. In Part 2 of yellow phalaenopsis breeding, important stud plants are described. This issue includes an article adapted from a recent internetbased discussion on how to prepare orchids for show. Rod Rice presents a preliminary checklist of the genus Renanthera and its distribution Colin Hamilton gives a DVD review on the film Adaptation which is based on the book The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean as well as a description of the Ghost orchid (Polyrrhiza lindenii), which was illegally collected by the orchid thief described in the book. The 16 th Australian Orchid Council Conference and Show is covered in this issue including a number of photographs of 2

3 awarded plants and photographs with brief descriptions of the AOC Orchids of the Year Australian Orchid Review - December 2003/January 2004 The lead article describes and illustrates a selection of unusual orchid species, both named and undescribed. The photographs are of high quality. An interesting article deals with the growing of orchids in perlite and peat. The use of perlite as one of the growing media is on the increase now good quality perlite (Chillagoe perlite) is becoming available to plant growers. How not to kill your plants with kindness is discussed, particularly in relevance to our hot dry summers. Other articles describe the following orchid species: Schomburgkia superbiens Paphiopedilum rothschildianum Prasophyllum affine (Nowra Leek orchid) Encyclia cochleata Bulbophyllum lobbii The Cymbidium Section includes a report on the National Cymbidium Orchid Show held at Ararat- September 2003 and the Annual Show of the Cymbidium Orchid Club of Western Australia. Peter Rochfort concludes his series on the development of pure colour Cymbidium breeding lines. Dean Roesler continues his series on the Cymbidium suave hybrids. A brief article on the history of Cymbidium Ruby, a natural hybrid, is included in this section. Orchids (American Orchid Society) September 2003 The lead article discusses factors to consider in determining what makes a good orchid and what characteristics to look for when purchasing orchids. A back-up article makes a case for purchasing mature plants. An article entitled coming in from the cold discusses what to look for and how to treat the various insect pests of orchids when bringing your orchids inside after a spell outdoors. How to display miniature orchids at shows is described in an article entitled Pleurothallids on Display. The results of a study exploring the relationship between reverse-osmosis water and slow-release fertiliser are discussed.. Specific articles on orchid genera, species and hybrids in this issue are : Telipogons from Peru Dendrobium hybrids Epidendrum hybrids Laelia lobata Mediocalcar decoratum Orchids (American Orchid Society) October 2003 The main article continues the description of the Vanda Alliance. In part 4, the best Vanda hybrids are discussed. A visit to the Monteverde Cloud-Forest Reserve and the Monteverde Orchid Garden in Costa Rica is described and illustrated with photographs. Preparing plants for winter with steps to take now to achieve optimal orchid health and floriferousness is given. Any serious orchid hobbyist should seek out and become an active member of their local Orchid Society. Belonging to an orchid society offers many ways to participate including helping to stage a show as discussed in this article. Various techniques for growing Phalaenopsis in sphagnum moss are described. A discussion to resolve taxonomic problems concerning two Dendrobiums, D. aphyllum and D. cucullatum (syn.d. pierardii) is presented in this issue. Specific articles on orchid genera, species and hybrids in this issue are : Phragmipedium besseae hybrids Phalaenopsis species and hybrids Lycaste Golden Emperor Hoosier Pleurothallis pterophora The Orchid Review - September/October 2003 The main article describes the genus Cochleanthes and discusses the cultivation of species of this genus, which are characterised by blue scented flowers. A new species of Gastrochilus, G. sonamii, from Sikkim is described. An interesting article on medicinal uses of orchids in Malawi is included in this issue. A species of Maxillaria, M. elegantula that was lost to cultivation for many years is illustrated and another species, M. pacholskii, is described for the first time. Jim Cootes describes some cooler growing Phalaenopsis species from the Philippines with brief cultivation notes on these species. Keith Marshall describes the various methods he uses to grow species of the genus Coelogyne. A white variety of Miltonia regnellii is briefly described. Other articles deal with: - floral exudates consisting mainly of glucose and fructose have been observed on a variety of orchids but are described for the first time to occur on two Paphiopedilum species - how to describe an orchid. This issue also contains the RHS Awards covering the months of May and June with brief descriptions and photographs of the awarded plants. 3

4 The Orchid Review Nov - Dec 2003 A nice article in this edition describing some of the more fragrant orchids, including explanations of their botanical names and conditions for growth. Generally in the east-to-grow category and suitable for the Canberra indoor/window sill conditions. A piece on snails and slugs mentions a deterrent that is safe, cheap, simple and in your cupboard as easy as having a cup of tea. In Questions and answers, Why do my flower buds drop? Find out why Other articles include the RHS awards for orchids, a full description of the orchid tribe Diseae, and descriptions of various individual orchids with the inevitable nomenclature changes (sigh) This edition also includes an index of all the articles for 2003 The Alpine Gardener - December 2003 This issue includes an article on the terrestrial orchids of the Swedish island of Gotland. In another article describing a fieldtrip to Crete many species of the genus Orchis were found. In the section Plant Awards, a First Class Certificate was given to Pleione aurita. Award of Merit went to Pleione Marco Polo Grex "Raymond, Orchis provincialis subsp. pauciflora, Orchis italica and Calanthe tricarinata.descriptions of these plants and photographs are provided. Orchid Digest - Oct/Nov/Dec 2003 This issue is entirely dedicated to the genus Phragmipedium, its species and various hybrids. Even if you do not have phrags. in your collection, the excellent photographs of the magnificent flowers are worth to have a look at. Orchids South Africa This is an annual publication produced by the South African Orchid Council. It is interesting to read how orchids are cultivated in a climate fairly similar to the southern half of Australia. This issue includes an article about the late Gordon Vallance of Mullumbimby with photographs of his awarded Brassolaeliacattleya hybrids. The Orchadian Dec 2003 The opening article in this edition discusses trends in preferences of growing media and relates this to watering and fertilizing practices. 14 well known growers were questioned and information includes what they wouldn t use and why. This is really worth a read! Linda Rogan describes (part 2) her field trip in southwestern Australia with great descriptions of the plants and history of the country-side. (meter tall orchids!) An afternoon in Port Lincoln so many orchids, so little time. A great article on the fascinating underground orchid Rhizanthella gardneri when you see how ugly it is you will understand why it lives underground! A number of articles on terrestrial orchids, with a new rare species from Victoria. Lots of lovely photos of dendrobiums (Thelychiton if you re feeling modern) and Sarcochilus, some of these from the Kempsy show and others accompanying articles on the individual hybrids. Hans de Vries and Barbara Corsini Horticultural Society Shows Lancaster Hall at Wesley Uniting Church, Fitzroy Street between National and Dominion Circuits, Griffith. The shows are open to the public on Saturday from noon-5pm and on Sunday from 12:30-4pm. Members are encouraged to enter their orchids in the classes organized specifically for our benefit. The procedure for entering plants is: 1. By 8pm on the Thursday preceeding the show, phone Mrs. Linn Doyle (02) , and tell her how many plants of each category you plan to enter. Note that you must have owned and been in possession of the orchids for at least 6 months. 2. Bring your plants to Lancaster Hall for staging on Friday (6-10pm) or Saturday (7:30-10am). There is a 10 cent charge for each entry. 3. If you win any prizes, your winnings (1 st $1, 2 nd 50c) must be collected before the show closes. Uncollected money will revert to the Horticultural Society. 4. Collect your plants immediately after the show closes at 4pm on Sunday. The speed at which this Society can pull down a show is awesome! The Autumn Show 6-7 March 2004 The orchid classes are: Cattleya Alliance 154 Cattleya species 155 Hybrid standard 156 Hybrid- intermediate Best specimen from classes Paphiopedilum 157 Species 158 Hybrid Best specimen from classes 157,158 Vandaceous Alliance 159 Species 160 Phalaenopsis hybrids 161 Vanda and Ascocenda hybrids Best specimen from classes Oncidium Alliance 162 Oncidium species 4

5 163 Oncidium hybrid 164 Odontoglossum alliance species 165 Odontoglossum alliance hybrid 166 Other Oncidium alliance species Best specimen from classes Pleurothallid Alliance 167 Masdevallia species 168 Other pleurothallid species 169 Hybrid including Masd. veitchiana 170 Hybrid not including Masd. veitchiana Best specimen from classes Orchid not otherwise specified 171 Species 172 Hybrid Best specimen from classes 171, 172 Major Prizes for Orchids Champion Orchid of the Show The Lawrence Woods Perpetual Trophy, $20 plus ribbon Reserve Champion of the Show The Lila Rose Memorial Perpetual Trophy, $15 plus ribbon. Champion Specimen Orchid $10 plus ribbon. Orchid jobs to do in March and April After the scorching weather we ve had, it s a relief to have some cooler temperatures. But don t forget that winter will be on us soon. My rule of thumb is to get all the plants into their winter arrangements by Anzac Day at the latest. So it s not too early to start to reline the glasshouse and make sure the heater and thermostats work. With the warm days and cool nights, we get the initiation of Phalaenopsis spikes. If your conditions are very stable with little difference between day and night, it may be worthwhile to give your plants a holiday outside for a week or two. Just make sure that you don t scorch the leaves or let them dry out too much under these different conditions! Before settling the plants for winter, it s a good idea to go over them all very carefully, checking for any insects. I like to do one spray of all the orchids before winter, just to make sure that I don t have big problems during winter. If it turns out that you can t fit everything back into the space you have available, consider selling some spare divisions on the sales table. Remember to put the price on a separate tag, and remember to allow for the society s 10% commission when you price the plants. CROSSWORD No 11 by Dennis Drobe ACROSS 1 About putting orchids in containers again (9) 5 Perform in the Territory (3) 7 Action! Fire in the pit led to fossilization (13) 9 The French art made me vigilantly attentive (5) 10 At the ecclesiastical council there was a fussy noddy (5) 12 Third planet from the sun (5) 13 He would feel at home in a doll s house even if it had ghosts (5) 14 Relating to the sense of smell (5) 16.. Abdul Rahman (5) 18 Tito was a baritone (5) 20 Pure without a tail in a sky without a heart; it s very sweet! And sticky! (5) 21 Stood (13) Miss 22 Face severe criticism (3) 23 Laic (9) DOWN 1 Did Peter gain anaphora? (9) 2 Spode and Wedgwood were both. (7) 3 Man s name (6) 4 People in these should not cast stones (11) 5 From Asia (5) 6 Sounds as if this cask weighs a lot (3) 8 A lion under canvas was deliberate (11) 11 Like a crab or lobster (9) 15 Specula (7) 17 Why are you behind my neck when you should doing the table linen? (6) 19 French say this beast is good (5) 21 Thus is his cheek the of days outworn. William Shakespeare (3) 5

6 Phone List Gunther Anglberger Robin & Susan Bedding Roslyn Blyton ( M) Ronald Boyd Tony Boyd Ross Burden Bob and Norma Bush Pat Butt Dean Carriage Don & Elan Chesher Quin Yuen Chung Catherine Clynes Eddy Collett Barbara Corsini Sheila & Peter Cudmore Yvonne Day Kai Detto Hans de Vries Geoff Dyne Jean Egan Jeremy Evans (w) Bob & Jean Evans Bill Ferris Scott Fitzsimons Frank Fogliati & Family Mark Fraser & Sandra Corbett Rick Gemenis and Sally Gardner Shyan Lii Goh Priscilla & Heinz Greve John Growder Jim Harper Pat Hewlings Ann Howarth Helen Hufton Trevor Hughes Remedios Humphries Rajani & David Judge Bill Keeley Geoff Kelly Marta Larko Brian & Moyna Leedham Felicity Leigh Gerlinde Lenz Joyce Linden (044) Daphne Mahon Scott Mann & Lai Mei Ling Bruce Mortlock Robyn Noel Leanda O'Connor Edna O'Dell Judy Osborne Bill & Ann Osmand Ray Palmer Col Palmer David & Marion Perkins Tony Perring Brian and Lynne Phelan Richard & Pamela Phillips & Family Robert Pollock David Rees David Rentz Robert, Audrey & Tanya Rough John Ryan Theo and Jenny Schutz Valda Semets Xavier Sirault Albert Sittler & Jeannie Fulton Sittler Darryl & Robyn Smith Tony & Julie Smith Murray Smith & Sue Lowe Sylvia Timms Terry & Julianne Turner Paul Tyerman Ben & Rosalind Walcott Ben Xaiomei & Angela Wallace Nita Wheeler Bob & Vicki Wilson Laurence Woods Jane Wright Rosetti Yau CROSSWORD No 11 SOLUTION R E P O T T I N G A C T E O S L S U P E T R I F I C A T I O N E T N D S A A L E R T O S Y N O D T R E A R T H I B S E N N E O S M I C T U N K U I A G O B B I A S Y R U P I O P E R O M I S U N D E R S T O O D A O A R R A P A N L A Y P E R S O N Feedback please! Let me know if you prefer the solution to be provided in the same newsletter as the crossword (as this time), or you prefer it in the subsequent issue. The editor 6

7 Popular Vote December 2003 Phalaenopsis Phalaenopsis unknown hybrid Julianne Turner Other exotic vandaceous Ascofinetia Cherry Blossom Brian Phelan Oncidium Oncidium Liz Full Moon Brian Phelan Other Oncidium Alliance hybrids Miltoniopsis Beall s Strawberry Joy Brian Phelan Paphiopedilum species Paphiopedilum niveum Terry Turner Paphiopedilum hybrid Paphiopedilum Psyche David Judge Pleurothallid species Sarraceniella pubescens Mark Fraser & Sandra Corbett Pleurothallid hybrid Masdevallia Pichincha Tan Jewell Eddy Collett Exotic Dendrobium Dendrobium nobile David Judge Laeliinae species Encyclia atropurpurea var roseana Bob Evans Laeliinae hybrid: Miniature Cattleytonia Hunabo Fairly Flare Ben Wallace Cattleya Esmerelda Heritage Rob Rough Any other species Cymbidium lancifolium Spathoglottis sp. Jane Wright Brian Leedham Popular Orchid of the Night Miltoniopsis Beall s Strawberry Joy Brian Phelan Judges Choice: Species Encyclia atropurpurea var roseana Bob Evans Judges Choice: Hybrid Paphiopedilum Vanda M. Pearman Terry Turner Popular Vote February 2004 Phalaenopsis Phal Kateel Bangkok Beauty x Julianne Turner Dor.pulcherimma Oncidium Alliance hybrid Rdcm.Hawaiian Magic x Onc. Barbie x Brian Leedham Onc. Hawaiian Gold Coelogyne Coelogyne merrillii Don Chesher Masdevallia hybrid Masdevallia Marguerite Mark Fraser & Sandra Corbett Australian Dendrobium species Dockrillia cucumerina Ben Wallace Any other orchid Stanhopea nigroviolacea Sylvia Timms Laeliinae species Encyclia radiata Mark Fraser & Sandra Corbett Laeliinae hybrid: Miniature Slc. Yellow Doll Mitzi Bob Evans Laeliinae hybrid: Intermediate Blc. Empress Worsley Roman Holiday Brian Leedham Laeliinae hybrid: Standard Blc. Frank Fordyce Robert Rough Popular Orchid of the Night Stanhopea nigroviolacea Sylvia Timms Contributions to the Bulletin You can get material to the editor by the following means: In person: At meetings, or if I am not there to either Robyn Noel or Brian Leedham. By mail: PO Box 3312, Belconnen, ACT 2617 not the Orchid Soc PO Box By phone: (02) (h) Fax (02) By Jane.Wright@csiro.au Hand written, typed and computer generated material all welcome and will be included as soon as possible subject to space. Contributions preferably by 14th of Jan, Feb, April, June, August, October. Computer files: This bulletin is prepared with Word for Windows 2000 on a PC. I can handle.doc,.rtf and.txt text formats and digital still and video images in most popular formats including.avi,.jpg,.tif and.bmp. Please keep formatting to a minimum, especially if it includes graphics. I can also scan drawings, text, slides and photographic prints. Contributors using a Mac please format files to a PC readable format before sending them to me. Please keep a backup copy of your own of anything you send me as accidents can happen! I can handle IBM formatted floppy disks and CDs. Please put your name on disks so that I can return them to you. Any questions, please see, ring or me. The Editor, Jane Wright 7