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OCSA_Bulletin2013-02 - Orchid Club of South Australia Inc.
THE ORCHID CLUB OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC. Published by The Orchid Club of South Australia Inc. Next Meeting SOUTH AUSTRALIAN Enfield Community Centre 540 Regency Road, Enfield February 7th at 8:00pm PROGRAM 2013 DATE PRESENTER TOPIC th Graeme Hazledine Phalaenopsis in Holland th 7 March Ron Parish Pleurothalidinae Culture 4th April Brian Noone - Propagation & Cloning of Capers 7 February ORCHID BULLETIN February 2013 Web Site: www.orchidclubofsouthaustraliainc.com Print Post Approved PP500080/0019 DAY GROUP MEETINGS Enfield Community Centre, 540 Regency Road, Enfield (Bus Stop 119 Bus No 300 Circle Line) 2:00pm to 4:00pm DATE th 8 February 8th March 12th April PRESENTER TOPIC Graeme Zerbe Virus Information Panel Question & Answer Auctioneer Auction DIARY DATES FOR THE 2012/2013 SEASON 7th April 2013 Bunnings Barbecue –Woodville Store th st 20 – 21 April 2013 Festival of Flowers – Enfield Community Centre th th 13 – 14 July 2013 Winter Show – Enfield Community Centre nd 2 November 2013 Socializing with Sarcs. – Enfield Community Centre th th 6 – 14 September 2013 Spring Show – R.A. & H.S. Registrar’s Choice Dendrobium Sydney ‘Doreen’ Grown by Roger Herraman A Member of the Australian Orchid Council Inc. OCSA 24 February 2013 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ORCHID CLUBS ORCHID CLUB OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA - LIFE MEMBERS 1966 1970 1974 1975 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1984 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1986 1987 1987 1988 1988 1990 1992 Neil Christoph† H C England† Bernie Hansen† Rex Thompson† Syd Monkhouse John Lewis Mick Chenoweth† Merv Strout† Colin Jennings Merv Donhardt† Russell Schultz† Harry Lambert John Harris Kath Harris† Barbara Clayton Lorraine Cottle Myrnie Jennings Nick Packard† Margaret Hewitt Shirley Monkhouse Don Gallagher Kel Staples Allan Sullivan† Bill White† 1992 1994 1994 1996 1996 1997 1998 1999 2001 2002 2003 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2009 2009 2010 2012 2012 † Denotes Roy Hargreaves† Reg Shooter Enid Brooking Ted Chance Marjorie Chance Eric Furness† Cyril Clifford† Don Nesbitt Sally White Richard Fishlock Bob Collins† Reg Faulkner Pat Faulkner Peter Hills Coralie Hills Judy Penny David Harmer Pat Harmer Russell Job Edda Viskic Gordon Hewitt† Murray Baulderstone Leo Micenko Deceased NOTES FOR FEBRUARY 2013 Next OCSA Judges Meeting: 7.30pm 11th February 2013 at Enfield Community Centre. Regional Judging Panel –7.30pm 18th March 2013 at Pultney Grammar School. JUDGES ROSTER FOR FEBRUARY 2013 OPEN: FIRST: ) L. Nesbitt (L) R. Rankin S. Howard T. Garard (R) P. Rankin (L) R. Shooter R. Riggs J. Argent (R) OPEN W. Lodge SECOND: ) WHAT CAUGHT THE JUDGE’S EYE: FIRST J. Gay SECOND D. Gallagher RESERVES: P. Harmer K. Minne COMPUTER: B. Gay L. Fenton HOSTS: Chris Moncrieff OCSA 2 Cymbidium Orchid Club of S.A. Secretary: R. O’Donohue Ph. (08) 8445 6923 2 Ross Avenue, Seaton SA 5023 Gawler Districts Orchid Club Secretary: Murray Page Ph. (08) 8250 0689 PO Box 32, Gawler, SA 5118 Millicent Orchid Society Secretary: Robert Wood Ph. (08) 8723 2953 c/o 37 Wehl Street North Mount Gambier Sth. Aust. 5290 Mount Gambier Orchid Society Secretary: Thea Shaughnessy Ph. (08) 8725 9051 PO Box 2455 Mount Gambier SA 5290 Murray Bridge & Districts Orchid Club Secretary: Wendy Schmerl Mob. 0435 909 246 PO Box 652, Murray Bridge, SA 5253 Native Orchid Society of S.A. Secretary: Robert Lawrence Ph. (08) 8294 8014 PO Box 565, Unley, SA 5061 Northern & Eastern Districts Orchid Society Secretary: Tony Fawcett Ph. (08) 8331 8956 103 Beulah Rd, Norwood, SA 5067 Port Augusta Orchid Club Secretary: Coral Ellis Ph. (08) 8643 6016 PO Box 1752 Port. Augusta SA 5700 Port Lincoln Orchid Club Secretary: Shirley Rawlins Ph. (08) 8682 8237 PO Box 1335 Port Lincoln SA 5606 Port Pirie & Districts Orchid Club Secretary: Rob Worden Ph. (08) 8633 0894 42 Ferme Street, Port Pirie Sth. Aust. 5540 Riverland Orchid Society Secretary: Marianne Lynch Ph. (08) 8588 7384 PO Box 746, Berri, SA 5343 South Australian Orchidaceous Society Secretary: Trevor Jacob Ph. (08) 8346 6155 PO Box 161, Brooklyn Park SA 5032 South Coast Orchid Club of S.A. Secretary: Lucy Spear Ph. (08) 8381 4420 6 David Street, Happy Valley, SA 5159 Sunraysia Orchid Club Secretary: Dianne Cavanagh Ph. (03) 5023 5411 PO Box 1818 Mildura Vic. 3502 Whyalla Orchid Club Secretary: Bill Davidson Ph. (08) 8645 4198 PO Box 566, Whyalla, SA 5600 INFLATION: One of the benefits of inflation is that kids can no longer get sick on a dollars worth of sweets. February 2013 OCSA 23 February 2013 Miles Harper – Club Solicitor Can help your legal transactions Wills and Estates are a speciality First interview FREE for OCSA members 262 – 266 Pirie Street, Adelaide, SA 5000 Ph: 7100 5458 Email: miles@harperdavison.com Garden City Plastics An OCSA Preferred Supplier of your Potting & Horticultural Needs Available from the OCSA Trading Table The Official Bulletin of The Orchid Club of S.A. Inc. Patron: Mrs. Liz Scarce Management Committee President Russell Job PO Box 10 Forest Range SA 5139 Ph (08) 8389 8402 mazu5139@bigpond.net.au Senior Vice President Murray Baulderstone(VP) Ph (08) 8276 3771 Show Marshal Trevor Camac Ph (08) 8396 4414 Secretary Edda Viskic G.P.O. Box 730 Adelaide SA 5001 Ph (08) 8389 8402 mazu5139@bigpond.net.au Junior Vice President Graham Hein (VP) Ph (08) 8396 1989 Day Group Coordinator Pat Harmer Ph (08) 8250 0718 Treasurer Graham Hein 566 Milne Road Banksia Park SA 5091 Ph (08) 8396 1989 graham.hein@bigpond.com Registrar of Judges Ron Yates Ph (08) 8264 6973 Editor David Harmer Ph (08) 8250 0718 Social Events Coordinator Edda Viskic Ph 8389 8402 Adelaide Digital & Reflex Printing Your OCSA Preferred Printer for Best Quality and Consistency Ph: (08)8349 9511 mazu5139@bigpond.net.au Committee Dave Harmer Ph 8250 0718 Pat Harmer Ph 8250 0718 Trevor Camac Ph 8396 4414 Email: mail@adelaidedigital.com Allan Stewart Ph 8248 2775 John Drummond Ph 8248 1739 Editors Contact for Copy: deepee@bigpond.com or 8250 0718 The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or the Committee of The Orchid Club of South Australia Inc. Registrar’s Choice ‘FLOWER of the MONTH’ digital image by David Harmer. Simply Ice Your OCSA Preferred Supplier of Food Grade Ice for your function Available at a Foodland Store or Selected Service Stations near you Supporters of OCSA & The Festival of Flowers Manufacturers of all your fertilising needs for garden, potted plants & Orchids Website: www.neutrog.com.au COPYRIGHT: All contributions to this Bulletin which have acknowledged authors are automatically covered Contents Life Members Notes & Judging Roster President’s November News Notice of Annual General Meeting Subscriptions for 2013 Guest Speaker for February Guest Speaker – Day Group Day Group Reports Cultural Observation for February Registrar’s Choice What Caught the Judge’s Eye How the Best were Grown What’s in a Name 2 2 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 8 9 10 11 Registrar’s 2012 Report Species Meeting Cymbidium suave Dendrobium jenkinsii Orchids In Schools Vale Peter Galpin Annual Aggregate Points Did you Know Bunnings Barbecue Report December Floral Results Classified Advertisements’ SA Orchid Club Contacts Details Coming Events Program 12 12 14 15 15 16 17 17 18 18 21 23 24 by copyright. We believe that most authors would be willing to allow free use of articles if written approval is sought from them through the Secretary of the club. OCSA 22 February 2013 OCSA 3 February 2013 President's Report 2012 SUPPORT YOUR CLUB SPONSORS It has been an interesting and challenging year, my first as President and I thank the committee and the members for the pleasure of the experience. We have enjoyed meetings and workshops, with a variety of speakers and presenters to provide informative orchid growing and showing tips. The topics covered included Mysteries of the Cymbidium World with Dr. R. Robinson, Phalaenopsis culture by S. Howard, Virus Awareness by G. Zerbe, Singapore Orchid Show by C. Jennings, as well as Asbestos Information and Carnivorous Plants. Thanks for your assistance and support of our activities during the year including the Auction, Raffles, Donations for Workshops, Trading Table plants and donations to our High Schools program. Special thanks to all members who give time and energy to support our Autumn, Winter and Spring Shows as well as Socialising with Sarcs. night. Thanks to those members who roster on Sausage Sizzle Promotion Events and lend a hand at meetings with setting up the hall and rooms and providing the refreshments, your efforts are much appreciated. Committee is developing a questionnaire to assist with the Five Year Plan to guide our future programs. Please assist us with your responses so we can use your ideas and continue to provide positive items on orchid culture. I have enjoyed being a member of such a friendly and active team and wish you well in the coming year. Russell Job, President. -ooo0ooo- NOTICE OF THE 2013 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Annual General Meeting of the Club will be held on Thursday 7th February 2013. At this meeting the positions of President, Vice President(2) Secretary, and Committee members fall vacant. Nomination for those positions were called in December and nominations received were: President: Russell Job, Vice President: Trevor Camac, Secretary: Edda Viskic, Treasurer: Graham Hein and Committee for a two year term were Chris Heysen, Trevor Garrard and Peter Lukeman. Any casual vacancies will be filled by committee at their next meeting on the 4th March. Edda Viskic - Secretary -ooo0ooo- Major Sponsor of OCSA’s Spring Show The Royal Adelaide Show is held September 7th – 15th 2012 weathersafe™ shades SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 2013 ARE NOW DUE Your committee has decided to keep annual subscriptions for 2013 the same as they have been in the past. Subscriptions for 2013 will be: $35 for a Family $30.00 for a Joint $25.00 for a Single Payment may be made by post or to the Treasurer’s Desk at the next Monthly Meeting. Thanking you. 20 Bennet Avenue, Melrose Park Ph: 8276 1111 website: www.weathersafe.com.au Your Supplier of Shadecloth, Shade Sails and Fixtures Graham Hein Treasurer OCSA 4 February 2013 OCSA 21 February 2013 Oncidiinae – Species 1. Onc. sphacelatum Paphiopedilum – Maudiae Category 1. Paph. Love Maud Paphiopedilum – Non-Standard Shape Hybrid 1. Paph. Vera Pellechia 2. Paph. Duo de Citron 3. Paph. Saint. Swithin Other Genera – Hybrid not listed elsewhere 1. Lycaste Unknown Orchid Seedling (Any Genera) 1. Paph. Duo de Citron GUEST SPEAKER FOR FEBRUARY Wendy Lodge Kris Kopicki Brian Coombe Allan Jeffries & James Argent Brian Coombe Our February night meeting speaker on the 7th February will be Graeme Hazledine with a presentation on ‘Phalaenopsis in Holland’. Graeme and Maureen recently had the pleasure of visiting a Phalaenopsis Nursery in Holland whilst on holidays and Graeme has put together a wonderful presentation on these sensational plants. Don’t miss this one as I am sure you will be amazed. -ooo0ooo- Wendy Lodge GUEST SPEAKER - FEBRUARY DAY GROUP Allan Jeffries & James Argent SECOND DIVISION Dendrobium – Hybrid – Other than Australian Native 1. Den. Unknown Allan & Jillian Kilsby Laeliinae – Non-Standard Shape Hybrid 60mm to 100mm 1. C. [Bc.] Tropical Pointer 'Cheetah' Allan & Jillian Kilsby 2. C. [B.] perrinii x Gur. aurantiaca Chris & Lyn Heysen 3. Ctt.( Chicanery x Madge Fordyce) Trevor & Gwen Camac Oncidiinae – Hybrid containing Odontoglossum 1. Onc. [Wils.] Hilda Plumtree 'Purple Wings' Trevor & Gwen Camac 2. Onc. [Colm.] Space Race Chris & Lyn Heysen 3. Onc. [Odtna.] Debutante 'Oxbow' Chris & Lyn Heysen Oncidiinae – Oncidium Hybrid 1. Onc. Gower Ramsey Trevor & Gwen Camac Phalaenopsis/Dor. – Non-Standard Shape Hybrid 1. Dtps. [Phal.] I-Hsin Sun Beauty Chris & Lyn Heysen 2. Phal. Baldan's Kaleidoscope Chris & Lyn Heysen Phalaenopsis/Dor. – Standard Shape Hybrid over 80mm 1. Phal. Unknown Chris & Lyn Heysen 2. Phal. Unknown Chris & Lyn Heysen Other Genera – Species not listed elsewhere 1. Bif. harrisoniae Trevor & Gwen Camac The ‘Day Group’ meeting will be held on Friday 8th February from 2.00pm to 4.00pm and our ‘Guest Speaker’ will be Graham Zerbe. Graham will give us a presentation on ‘Virus’ which as we all know is an extremely important subject necessary for the well being of our orchid collections. Graham will show us some images of virus in many different plants which will help you to recognise this unwanted disease. Don’t miss this meeting as it is a very important one Pat Harmer – Speaker Coordinator -ooo0ooo- 2012 DAY GROUP REPORT Once again we have experienced a very successful Day Group. We were entertained with some very expert ‘Guest Speakers’ throughout the year on some very interesting topics. Our yearly auction was again an extremely successful one raising many dollars for our club. Thank you to all my ‘Day Group’ members who support this occasion. Our beginner’s group has been a big highlight of the year with members learning all the necessary information for good orchid growing. An excellent showing of plants brought in by the members and commentaries given by our expert judges has also been a wonderful part of the year. I must say a very special thank you to all the people who help in any way, without you our ‘Day Group’ would not run as successfully as it does. To all our members I say thank you for your support throughout the year and I look forward to entertaining you for the 9th year of our ‘Day Group’. Pat Harmer – Day Group Coordinator -ooo0ooo- MEMBERS PLEASE CHECK THIS LIST WITH YOUR PLANT LABELS THE FOLLOWING ORCHIDS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED Grower Number Crossing Registration Paph. Duo de Citron 433 Paph. (primulinum x Gold Dollar) 70 Dtps. Ever Spring Prince x Dtps. Dendi’s Prince Phal. Dendi’s Lip PLEASE CHANGE YOUR LABELS TO THE REGISTERED and/or NAME CHANGE, thank you. OCSA 20 February 2013 DECEMBER DAY GROUP REPORT What a fun day we had at our Xmas break up meeting. 32 members and friends were entertained with a video presentation from David Harmer. David showed us some extraordinary presentations on bird life, butterflies, cactus flowers, digital editing and a few comical interludes put together with beautiful relaxing music. Thank you David for a wonderful presentation I know you put a lot of work into creating them. Thank you Reg Shooter for taking the beginner’s group and again I know our members really appreciate your efforts. We had some very nice plants benched and Richard Fishlock and Ron Yates once again gave a very informative commentary. Our ‘Gift Exchange’ segment went very well with everyone getting a little surprise for Xmas. At this point I must sincerely thank OCSA 5 February 2013 you the members for your support throughout the year and a very special thank you to the following people who without their help I could not successfully present our ‘Day Group’. Margaret Hewitt & Murray Baulderstone, Ron Yates, Trevor Camac, Yvonne Arthur, Reg Shooter, Richard Fishlock, Don Gallagher, Iain Kilpatrick, Trevor Garard and David H. By the time you all receive this report I hope you have enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and are on the way to having a happy and healthy new year. Pat Harmer – Day Group Coordinator -ooo0ooo- CULTURAL OBSERVATIONS FOR FEBRUARY The peak of our heat and dryness is now upon us and with it comes maximum care. One single day of 40 plus temperatures will ruin new growths and dry up tender new growth root tips. A heat wave can obliterate an entire collection. It would be wise to have a backup plan to look after plants during these extremes. This can range from a heavy watering in the morning, followed by regular misting and wetting the ground to keep that all important humidity up as well as providing additional shading. In some cases placing soft plants under benches and even bringing them inside the house is an option. Some growers will spray plants with an anti transpiration agent to prevent water loss thru the leaves. It would pay to check plants from last year that suffered signs of heat stress and intense light. Sunburnt patches, tip die back and pitting caused by cell collapse are all signs of a plants lack of tolerance to heat stress and these should be the first plants offered protection. This should be another diary entry. For example in my collection it’s Cym. tracyanum, Sarco. falcatus, the entire Masdevallia collection and my Den. monophyllum that all go inside the house when over 40C as all these plants suffer badly. Also any of my awarded plants are treated the same. I take no chances here. Many of the hanging plants are dropped to the ground, e.g. Oncidiums, Stanhopeas and the Brassia’s and some of the soft leaved Lycastes go under the benches. Sarcochilus go under a wet sheet held 2 feet above them that is kept that way all day (I have a good wife). Most orchids come from places where the growing season is also the wettest so 40C and 2% humidity is foreign to the bulk of our collections. Somehow Adelaide does not know the meaning of wet unless you happen to be fortunate to be underneath one of those all too rare thunderstorms one afternoon and even then they move too fast for the rains to be of any benefit. Despite the heat we get this time of year growth in the orchid house is rapid. Now is the time to start cooling down the cymbidiums with a fine spray in the evenings to give the plants the required temperature drop to commence spike initiation as well as change to a more balanced fertiliser with a higher potash level. For those with a collection of late flowering Cyms, those with Cym. devonianum or the Australian trio in the background, now is a good time to divide them as they perform better when divided in the warmer months than they do in the cooler months.. Many of our Cattleyas and Laeliinae tribe now have new growths well underway and a new crop of roots showing indicating reception to water and feed which should be around 3 to 4 times a week for the water and once on the feed unless you feed at every watering OCSA 6 February 2013 1. C. walkeriana 'Kerry' Suzanne Saunders 2. E. aromatica Ron & Irene Parish 3. L. [C.] purpurata var. coerulea Richard & Beryl Wilson Laeliinae – Standard Shape Hybrid 60mm to 100mm 1. Rth. Twentyfour Carat x Ctt. Aussie Sunset Richard & Beryl Wilson Oncidiinae – Oncidium Hybrid 1. Onc. Sydney 'Doreen' Roger Herraman 2. Onc. Sharry Baby 'Sweet Fragrance' John & Bev Gay Paphiopedilum – Non-Standard Shape Hybrid 1. Paph. Song of Love Suzanne Saunders 2. Paph. Vera Pellechia Graeme & Maureen Hazledine Paphiopedilum – Species 1. Paph. esquirolei Suzanne Saunders Phalaenopsis/Dor. – Non-Standard Shape Hybrid 3. Dtps. Dendi's Prince Russell Job & Edda Viskic Phalaenopsis/Dor. – Species 1. Phal. mariae Ron & Irene Parish 2. Phal. mannii Ron & Irene Parish 3. Phal. parishii Ron & Irene Parish Vandeae – Non-Standard Shape Hybrid 2. V. (Meryrl Velthuis x Coerulea) Fred Cawse 3. V. [Mkra.] Chark Kuan Delight 'Strawberry' Fred Cawse Vandeae – Standard Shape Hybrid 1. Ptra. Blue Boy 'Jill' Russell Job & Edda Viskic 2. Srts. Toowoomba Sparkle 'Hubba Iain & Ros Kilpatrick 3. Vasco. Pine Rivers 'Udom's Blue' Russell Job & Edda Viskic Zygopetalinae – Hybrid Inter-generic 2. Zba.[(Elfin Jade x Tarcoola) x Z. Helen Ku Russell Job & Edda Viskic Other Genera – Hybrid not listed elsewhere 1. Phrag. Calurum Graeme & Maureen Hazledine 2. Mas. Marguerite Russell Job & Edda Viskic Other Genera – Species not listed elsewhere 1. Pths. viduata 'Fox Den' Ron & Irene Parish 2. Dda. edwallii Ron & Irene Parish 3. Coel. flaccida Russell Job & Edda Viskic Orchid Seedling (Any Genera) 1. Paph. Song of Love Suzanne Saunders FIRST DIVISION Australian Native Epiphyte - Species 1. Sarco. australis Kris Kopicki 2. Sarco. hillii Kris Kopicki 3. Sarco. hirticalcar Kris Kopicki Cymbidium – under 60mm Red/Pink/Brown 1. Cym. Phar Lap 'Geyserland' Andrew Koch Laeliinae – Non-Standard Shape Hybrid 60mm to 100mm 1. Psh. Green Hornet Rito & Rosetta Silvestri OCSA 19 February 2013 Report on Bunning’s Barbecue Our latest barbecue at Bunning’s was held on Sunday 16th December. Despite quite a windy day everything went very well and our Treasurer was pleased with our profit of $1800. Seventeen members worked throughout the day to whom I must say a very special thanks, without these dedicated members we would not be able to earn such an incredible amount of money for our club. Thank you also to those members who brought some amazing plants for us to show the public although it was hard to keep them from blowing over in the wind they were much appreciated. Pat Harmer -ooo0ooo- DECEMBER MONTHLY FLORAL RESULTS BEST ORCHID OPEN DIVISION AND REGISTRAR’S CHOICE Oncidium Sydney ‘Doreen’ grown by Roger Herraman BEST ORCHID FIRST DIVISION Paphiopedilum Love Maud grown by Kris Kopicki BEST ORCHID SECOND DIVISION Phalaenopsis Unknown grown by Chris & Lyn Heysen BEST SEEDLING Paphiopedilum Song of Love grown by Suzanne Saunders OPEN DIVISION Australian Native Epiphyte - Hybrid 1. Sarco. Heidi Russell Job & Edda Viskic 2. Cym. Little Black Sambo 'Black Magic' Gordon & Coralie Hime 3. Sarco. Sweetheart Russell Job & Edda Viskic Australian Native Epiphyte - Species 1. Cym. canaliculatum 'Gladstone' John & Bev Gay 2. Sarco. fitzgeraldii Nesbitts Orchids 3. Sarco. hartmanii Nesbitts Orchids Australian Native Terrestrial - Species 1. Diuris drummondii 'Buttery' Nesbitts Orchids Cymbidium – 60mm to 90mm Yellow/Green 1. Cym. Hearts of Gold 'Enfield' Nesbitts Orchids Cymbidium – under 60mm Any Other Colour 1. Cym. Iris Bannochie Les Burgess Laeliinae – Non-Standard Shape Hybrid 60mm to 100mm 1. Lc. Tropical Pointer 'Cheetah' Graeme & Maureen Hazledine 2. C. [Slc.] Fire Magic Russell Job & Edda Viskic Laeliinae – Non-Standard Shape Hybrid Cluster 1. Ctt. [Lc.] Trick or Treat Iain & Ros Kilpatrick 2. Epi. Pacific Whimsy Graeme & Maureen Hazledine Laeliinae - Species OCSA 18 February 2013 with a diluted feed which I prefer. Don’t forget to let them dry out in between watering. Oncidiums also in the same growth stage but would be a little further advanced compared to the cats with some already starting to fill out. They love moisture around the roots this time of year, especially the mounted ones but keep to a weaker feed as they are not hungry as some other genera. A half strength mix is fine. Potted plants are watered twice weekly, even more if very hot and daily if mounted. Onc flexuosum hybrids and species are in flower now as well as that old favourite that everyone should have, Gower Ramsey. Our Paphiopedilums should have maximum shade now and be frequently watered using rainwater. Salt levels in Adelaide tap water over summer are at their highest and can damage salt sensitive plants such as the Paphiopedilums and Phragmipediums. Some early varieties are already in spike. Remember to keep the water out of the leaf axils otherwise they will rot off and there goes a year’s work. Terrestrial re potting should be finished by now but it’s not too late. Up until March is still OK but the later you leave it the higher the risk of the tubers sprouting and being damaged in the process. Native epiphytes should have new growths well advanced and some that are only just starting. They grow quickly. Keep the water out of the growths as well to avoid fungal problems such as spotting and damping off (boil, as it is sometimes known as). Keep and eye out on the leaves. Any sign of pitting is generally heat related which means these plants need more care when it’s hot. This is most noticeable on those with thicker leaves such as Den. speciosum and related hybrids. As you get to know your plants you soon learn which ones have problems at different times of year. Pest problems are the two spotted mites that relish the dryness of summer. Check the undersides of the leaves for the telltale fine threads of webbing, the silvery appearance they leave and if your eyesight is really keen you can actually see them. Control with Mavrik™ as a contact spray and ensure leaves are covered both sides and Rogor™ as a systemic that will kill them and you if you if you are not careful! Eco oil and Natrasoap™ are a couple of other preparations that are more eco friendly to the habitat and the user! I find that Cyms, especially the green ones are most susceptible to the mites, in fact any of those Cyms with broader leaves seem to be the preferred plant for the mites. Other softer leaved orchids such as Lycaste, Zygopetalum and Oncidiums do have their problems as well, but not as bad as the humble cymbidium. They don’t mind the odd native either and especially seedlings. Another new problem child this year is the plague thrip. He carries some of the worst diseases known with spotted wilt on tomatoes the worst. I know. My entire Sarcochilus flowering went from fab to stuffed in a couple of days when these blighters moved in. This was my fault though, as it was in my diary that late October was the time to start spraying. I should read my own notes someday!! I also lost most of my hippeastrums and gladioli to the same pests. They can suck sap from an infected plant and transfer it to a healthy plant and given the heightened awareness of viral problems this is the last thing we want.. Best with a contact spray such as Malathion™ or pre infestation use a systemic. Earwigs and millipedes are bad this year as well as well as the humble cockroach.. Carbaryl™ and the humble blue snail pellet fixes them up. If you see roots getting chewed off and you cannot see the culprit go out at night with the torch to see what’s on the go or put the pot into a bucket of water with the level up to the edge of the pot. This will force out any nasties in the bark and you will be surprised what crawls out. I had a hanging and expensive orchid losing root tips and could not work out what or why so I did the same test. Being a hanging plant how could the bugs get in? The culprit was a OCSA 7 February 2013 cockroach (yes! they can fly) and a heap of slaters that I guess came in with the bark I used. Another lesson learnt that I should treat the bark or boil it first. The same bark also has provided me with several centipedes, not what I want in my indoor phalaenopsis collection. I am not scared of spiders but centipedes scare the living daylights out of me. So it is obvious that these sneak into the bark somewhere along the line before I use the bark. There is never many plants in flower this time of year and for those newer growers it is time to see what is benched and try them. Most will grow OK with the natives and the Cyms. Brassia verrucosa, Onc. flexuosum & Gower Ramsey, Neofinetia falcata and Sartylis are all flowering OK in my house and if I can grow them so can you. If you can’t get a reed stemmed Epidendrum and if that won’t flower may I suggest a new hobby!! The main chore this month is keeping the moisture and humidity up but don’t overwater as can be the case when it’s hot. Pick up a plant and feel the pot. If it’s light then water but if heavy then don’t and don’t forget the finger in the mix test either. Even in the wettest zones it does not rain every day. You cannot overwater a mounted plant. Remember to observe those plants that stress and show damage when it’s hot. Remember these and take action before the next bout of heat. Do this and you are on the way to helping your plant cope and it will make you a better grower. I hope everyone had a great Xmas and look forward to a successful new year. Steve Howard -ooo0ooo- REGISTRAR’S CHOICE FOR DECEMBER Registrar’s Choice and the Orchid of Open Division announced by Colin Jennings was Onc. Sydney ‘Doreen’ grown by Roger Herraman. This impressive orchid carried a single upright inflorescence with approximately 150 yellow/greyed purple flowers on 20 lateral branches. Colin suggested that Roger may have a special potting mix, since the judges could identify a number of ingredients such as small bark, coco husk, perlite, diatomite and some gravel. This hybrid contains the species Onc. leucochilum and Onc. sphacelatum and is a worthy plant in any collection. The Orchid of First Division was Paph. Love Maud grown by Chris Kopicki. The parents of this hybrid are Paph. Love Song and Paph. Maudiae, with the ‘Maudiae’ shape being very evident in this orchid. Paph. Love Song was registered in 1989 and is a primary hybrid of Paph. acmodontum and Paph. sukhakulii. This was a well grown plant with a strong stem indicating good culture. The Orchid of Second Division was another Phalaenopsis Unknown grown by Chris and Lyn Heysen. The orchid presented a single inflorescence displaying 9 pristine white flowers with 2 buds on a lower branch. The plant was obviously well grown with a healthy and extensive root system evident in the clear plastic pot. The potting mix appeared to be small bark and perlite. Congratulations to the successful growers and to all members who brought orchids to share with us all. Ron Yates. Registrar of Judges. OCSA 8 February 2013 ANNUAL AGGREGATE POINTS 2012 SECTION Australian Native Cymbidium Dendrobium Other Laeliinae Oncidiinae Other genera Paphiopedilum Phalaenopsis Vandeae Zygopetalinae Annual Totals OPEN Nesbitt Orchids Les Burgess I & R Kilpatrick Nesbitt Orchids E & P Leske G & M Hazledine R Job & E Viskic 37 18 15 27 9 9 8 R & B Wilson 34 J & B Gay 29 C & C Dally 24 C & C Dally 15 R & I Parish 12 G Voskamp 11 R Job & E Viskic 30 R & R Parish 24 G & M Hazledine 12 Nesbitt Orchids 28 G & M Hazledine 21 R Job & E Viskic 12 R Job & E Viskic 23 R & I Parish 14 R Job & E Viskic 20 Nesbitt Orchids 17 I & R Kilpatrick 5 R Job & E Viskic 18 Nesbitt Orchids 16 I & R Kilpatrick 9 R Job & E Viskic 147 Nesbitt Orchids 125 R & I Parish 74 FIRST K Kopicki J Argent & A Jeffries 34 12 A Koch G Hein W Lodge G Hein J Argent & A Jeffries J Argent & A Jeffries W Lodge R & R Silvestri J Argent & A Jeffries W Lodge R & R Silvestri W Lodge K Kopicki J Dunn J Argent & A Jeffries K Kopicki B Coombe 20 19 9 5 4 22 16 15 12 6 6 3 3 3 13 8 7 R & J McRedmond G Hein A Koch W Lodge J Argent & A Jeffries G Hein K Kopicki 2 15 9 3 66 48 45 SECOND W Thomas P Lukeman A Stewart T & G Camac A Stewart 14 11 11 6 8 T & G Camac A Stewart 29 15 T & G Camac C & L Heysen 18 15 T & G Camac 3 A Stewart 3 C & L Heysen A Stewart W Thomas C & D Moncrieff P Lukeman T & G Camac A Stewart C & L Heysen 28 3 3 6 5 63 48 23 -ooo0ooo- DID YOU KNOW In 1969 a polygraph expert, Cleve Backster whilst experimenting stumbled on some most unusual findings. When watering a plant in his office in New York he decided to attach the galvanic skin-response section of the polygraph machine to a leaf to determine any change in the conductivity of the leaves as the plant absorbed moisture. To his amazement the line tracing on the chart went down as he expected. In a human such a reaction indicates some sort of emotional response. Using the polygraphist’s standard “threat to well-being” to test for a reaction he decided to burn a leaf with a match flame. The polygraph pen almost leaped of the chart. After many different tests on the plant he came to the conclusion that plants not only felt emotion but remembered things and also do a pretty good job of reading our minds. NOTE: Remember always be nice to your orchid plants and they will reward you. OCSA 17 February 2013 Mr. Allen Anderson, one of the supervising teachers was at the OCSA December meeting and accepted the introduction pack on behalf of the Mt. Barker High School Orchid Club. The students have taken on the role of Mt. Barker Orchid Club ambassadors and will lead the charge to get new members in the 2013 school year. They have also indicated a willingness to participate in a presentation I will give to the OCSA day group later in the year. As usual OCSA members have responded well to my requests for donations of plants and other equipment with pledges of more in the New Year. Any small items available from the club trading table (fertilizer, bundle of stakes etc) are always appreciated as well as plants and pots. The program is especially interested in donations of terrestrial tubers, both native Australian and non native. Co-ordinator - Trevor Garard -ooo0ooo- . VALE – PETER WILLIAM GALPIN 3/06/1944 – 26/11/2012 After a long illness Peter has finally passed on to the ‘big orchid house in the sky’ where I am sure he will join with many other of the orchid community that are in that ‘big house’ tending the many orchids we have already sent there. The orchid community has lost another character from its flock with the passing of Peter. A ‘mans man’ who had an unusually dry sense of humour, that touched many of us over the years. In his younger days Peter’s sporting prowess shone out, he rubbed shoulders with the likes of sporting great Barry Robran and many others along the way. In later years he was a passionate supporter of the Adelaide Crows. Coming from Whyalla to Clare and then to the city where he continued to be competitive but in a much slower environment, orchid growing. As a hobbyist grower he was still very competitive, a trait carried from his younger sporting days. Although Peter grew a number of different genera he had a passion for miniature dangly Cymbidiums with an Australian flavour or influenced by the species Cym. devonianum. He also tried his hand at hybridising and had registered a number of Cymbidium crosses, Cym. Sebastian Bailey and Cym. Te Pee are a couple that come to mind. Peter was an accredited Australian Orchid Council Judge, unfortunately health issues prevented Peter enjoying the full benefit of the years of training and study required to attain this status. Peter and I enjoyed judging orchid shows together in the city and country. Another passion was supporting the Crows and we attended many home games together with a real highlight the day we attended the new Crows establishment, the Westpac Centre we spent some four hours going through the venue and the history of Club together. Our heart felt sympathies are offered to his wife Carmen and children Ann and David. Graham J. Zerbe OCSA 16 February 2013 WHAT CAUGHT THE JUDGES EYE IN OCTOBER OPEN DIVISION: JUDGE: Reg Shooter PLANT: C. walkeriana GROWER: Suzanne Saunders COMMENTS: Cattleya walkeriana is an attractive species endemic to Brazil, it is distinguished by its spade shaped labellum and good shape. The usual colour of the flowers is in lilac shades. But the plant that was benched by Suzanne carried two 8cm creamy white flowers held well clear of the foliage with lilac/purple labellum. Unlike many in the Cattleya group this species retains its compact growth habit throughout its life making it ideal for a small collection. There is some contention as to whether this is in actual fact Cattleya walkeriana as some botanists contend that the true species has the unique habit of producing its flower spike not from the apex but from the extending rhizome. The plants that generate spikes from the apex are probably a natural hybrid between C. walkeriana and C. loddigesii as both these species are found in the same area. But what does it matter? To us it is still a very attractive orchid whatever the name! FIRST DIVISION: JUDGE: Noel Oliver PLANT: Paph. Primcolor GROWER: James Argent & Allan Jeffries COMMENTS: A nice array of various good quality plants were benched in First Division. The plant that attracted my attention was a primary hybrid registered in 1979 and also having been awarded on six previous occasions in the USA. It is a crossing of Paph. concolor and Paph. primulinum and has the appearance in shape substance and colour of its parent Paph. concolor together with the progressive flowering traits of this species. Paph. concolor is found in Burma, Thailand, Vietnam and S.W. China near the ocean and streams and is found growing on limestone cliffs where it receives reflected light from the water. The roots of the plant extend into cracks in the limestone amid humus and moss and are continually damp. The other species Paph primulinum is found in Northern Sumatra growing on limestone hills in humus on the forest floor. This small plant was very well grown and presented with its very attractive flowers by The now well know combination of James & Allen. SECOND DIVISION: JUDGE: Colin Jennings PLANT: Bifrenaria harrisoniae GROWER: Trevor & Gwen Camac COMMENTS: The plant selected as best in Second Division at the December meeting was Bifrenaria harrisoniae, owned by Trevor & Gwen Camac. This healthy, well-grown plant carried six inflorescences, each with the usual two flowers per stem. This plant, which almost filled the pot in which it was growing, OCSA 9 February 2013 had healthy green leaves demonstrating good culture. Often this species is presented in this state with very yellowish leaves and the characteristic black spots (something like those we see on Zygopetalums) – this plant was free of the spots. Bifrenaria harrisoniae has been grown for many years and usually flowers in the latter months of the year in South Australia, although it has been known to flower out of season and could be seen as early as the Spring Show. The species is native to lowland areas in Brazil, where it is said to grow in full sun, but in Brazil this would also suggest that it likes a relatively humid environment. Too often we take full sun ‘at its word’ & grow it here in a drier, sunny environment which adds to the yellowing of the leaves. Flowering can be shy and some years, for no apparent reason, plants looking healthy will produce no flowers at all. An epiphyte or occasionally a lithophyte, it can be grown on a hardwood mount but seems to grow best here if in a pot, with a medium which drains well but is not allowed to dry out completely. A bark-based medium works well with regular additives such as perlite, scoria, and charcoal etc. with coco-peat a more recent inclusion. This species is a worthwhile addition to a collection of species and should be obtainable, along with several other species in the genus such as Bif. tyrianthina, Bif. inodora and Bif. tetragona. A well-grown plant of the first named of these was shown at the December meeting in the Open Division. -ooo0ooo- normal large Cymbidium type pot but with the eucalypt rotted wood as the medium. They also resent being re-potted, divided or disturbed and most growers avoid this unless it is absolutely necessary. David Harmer Ref: Orchids of Australia -ooo0ooo- Dendrobium jenkinsii Jenkin’s Dendrobium is a species orchid occurring in north-east India also in Hainan China, Eastern Himalayas, Nepal, Myanmar and Laos and is found on the trunks of trees in open forest at elevations to 1500 metres. It is often referred to as Den. aggregatum. This species is a small sized plant and flowers in spring on a short up to 150mm raceme with 1 or 2 yellow 30mm flowers which arise from near the base of the small leafed pseudobulb, It has clustered flattened bulbs with a single shiny leaf . Often confused with Den. lindleyii which is larger and produces many more flowers. Best grown on a tree fern slab hanging up and keeping it on the dry side in winter but with plenty of light. In Adelaide we grow this in a cold glass house and fertilise weekly with weak organic fertilisers and in the growing season is watered every other day D. & P. Harmer HOW THE BEST WERE GROWN FIRST DIVISION: Kris Kopicki was the grower of the orchid selected for First Division with Paph. Love Maud. Chris grows his plant in intermediate conditions and the orchid receives very little water during the cooler months of the year, as the plant gets all it needs from the heavens. Once the weather starts to warm up Kris commences to water every 5 days. Watering is increased as the temperature goes up and then once per day if the temperature increases over 35°C and he only uses rainwater. Fertilising is generally every second watering, time permitted. Kris alternates between Manutec ™ Orchid Fertiliser, Manutec™ Orchid Bloom Booster and a mix of Powerfeed™ and Seasol™. He uses all his fertilisers at 10% of the recommended concentration (amount of Seasol is 10% recommendation for ferns). The potting medium is 1 part perlite (5-7mm), 1 part marble chips (5-7mm) and adds a small handful of dolomite lime per 2-3 litres of potting media. This plant is grown outside under shadecloth for most of the year, except when flowering when it comes into the house to keep the flowers in good condition. As most of the potting media in mostly inorganic it is much more tolerant to heavy watering with most of Kris’s plants situated in close proximity to mounted epiphytes. The plant sits on a lower bench in the shade-house and is partially shaded for some of the day but can be bright at certain times particularly in the mornings when the light streams through the 50% cloth walls, OCSA 10 February 2013 Den. jenkinsii Den. lindleyii -ooo0ooo- ‘Orchids In Schools’ Update Mount Barker High School After the final presentation given by ‘The Two Trevs’ (and John Dunn ) at the 2012 Royal Show I was introduced to Mr Allen Anderson who showed an interest in having Mount Barker High School join the ‘Orchids in Schools’ program. He was invited to have a closer look at the OCSA display and in particular the plants entered by Willunga and Woodville High Schools. He and a couple of friends were suitably impressed by the display and the OCSA members they met. I told him I would be in touch to arrange a time for a more formal OIS presentation for any interested students and teachers. In October I went to Mount Barker High and gave the presentation to 3 teachers and 4 students. The amount of interest among the attendees was high and it was decided that we would have an immediate start instead of waiting for the new school year. As the lessons went on one student retired from the group but was quickly replaced by another. All students and teachers have shown an aptitude for their orchid growing pastime and the group is progressing well. The reason for the early start was to enable the students to display their plants at as many OCSA shows as possible in 2013. OCSA 15 February 2013 SECOND DIVISION: Dryadella edwardii Restrepia cuprea Pleuro.restrepioides Reg Shooter -ooo0ooo- The orchid selected by the judges as best in Second Division was grown by Chris & Lyn Heysen. This is a different Phalaenopsis to the one that was flower of the division in October. Phal. Unknown hybrid is grown in a glass house with 50% shade cloth over the roof. The growing area has under bench heating set to 17°C for the colder nights and plants are misted in the summer for cooling and a small fan is used for air circulation. In winter watering occurs once per week and in the summer months every 2-3days depending on the temperature. The plant is fertilized every 2 weeks with half strength Cambells Growth™ from October to February and then Cambells Bloom™ March to September. It is potted in 60% small bark, 30% perlite and 10% charcoal. -ooo0ooo- Cymbidium suave Cymbidium suave is one of the three Australian Native species and would be the hardest of the three to maintain in our collections. It may help if we understand where Cym. suave comes from and how it grows in its natural habitat. It is mainly found growing on the east coast of Australia extending north from southern New South Wales to north of Brisbane in Queensland. The climate ranges from moist temperate to moist sub tropical. It is found growing in holes and splits of eucalypt trees with its root system extending down into the rotting core wood of the trees and is found in both living and dead eucalypts. It is also found in old fallen trees, stumps and even eucalypt fence posts. The root system extends down for many metres and may when adjacent to a crack or hole in the trunk form a stolon growth and a new plant will be established. It can now be seen that to establish Cym. Suave in our limited Adelaide conditions would not be easy. There are a few growers who have had the luck to establish and grow this unique species and some information has been gleaned from them. Those that were able to divulge some clues all agreed that you need to replicate as closely as possible the conditions similar to where this species comes from and all agreed that Cym. Suave seemed to have more and different requirement to other Cymbidiums. Growing this species in a medium of rotting eucalypt wood is one of the main successes to maintaining good growth and longevity and is reported to be far better than the various and typical Cymbidium medium used by most Cym. growers. It has been recorded that the pH level of the rotting core of the eucalypt in nature is between 4 and 4.5 so if this can be achieved in our growing area then you are well on the way to successfully getting Cym. suave to establish and survive. Also in nature the very thick outer wood layer of the eucalypt insulates the root system so successful growers cultivate theirs in a hollow eucalypt log 1 metre to 1.5 metres long and about 300mm across. Other suitable containers used are concrete or clay pipes filled with rotting wood and double pots insulated with styrene. Once established as a large plant some success can result in growing Cym. suave in a OCSA 14 February 2013 WHAT’S IN A NAME Sir Jeremiah Colman (1859-1942) Sir Jeremiah Colman was the eldest son of Jeremiah Colman of the Norwich-based ‘manufacturers of mustard, starch, washing blue and cornflower’ J & J Colman. He was educated at Kings College School, London & St John’s College, Cambridge. Upon completing his education he joined the family business and in 1896 he became the chairman. He was much sought after for service in public offices and was a considerable philanthropist. He was created first Baronet for these services. All through his life he had two passions; orchids and cricket. His interest in cricket began at an early age and in 1882 he captained the St John’s College first eleven. From 1916 to 1923 he was President of Surrey County Cricket Club. During this time he assembled a large collection of cricket pictures which are now in the Lord’s Museum at the M.C.C. At his magnificent home of Gatton Park in Surrey he amassed one of the finest collections of orchids in Britain, including many rare species. He was responsible for the introduction of many hybrids created at Gatton Park, perhaps the best known is Dendrobium Gatton Sunray (Den. chrysotoxum x Illustre) registered at the RHS in 1919. This is an untidy rambling plant with long pseudobulbs carrying clusters of bright yellow flowers with a deep magenta throat it grows under intermediate conditions and because of its hardiness was flowered by many enthusiasts in England. In 1936 it was awarded an FCC by the RHS. In 1914 a library to serve the needs of the recently formed Department of Biochemistry at Cambridge University OCSA 11 February 2013 was established. It struggled for finances over the years then in 1924 a gift of 2000 pounds (a huge sum in 1924) was donated by Sir Jeremiah Colman enabling the Department to purchase its own purpose built building ‘for a Library for the school of Biochemistry’ and to purchase books and also for ongoing costs. The original Colman Library is still in use today with its floor to ceiling oak bookcases lining the walls. It has grown over the years and has expanded to occupy a disused research laboratory. Through Jeremiah Colman’s philanthropy in those earlier years many botanists and researches have been able to use the facilities of the library to further their research. Reg Shooter -ooo0ooo- Registrar’s Report for 2012. The club had another successful year with the quality of the member’s orchids of a high standard. All shows were well attended and the displays were appreciated by all. The judging panel has been reduced in recent years so I look forward to the graduation of two members, Trevor Garard and James Argent who are currently students of the AOC training program. Some difficulties at the spring show placed pressure on the judging panel to complete the task as quickly as possible and with considerably less floor space available. However it was achieved just in time. The involvement of the country judges has been a bonus for all and I know they benefit from the experience as we do their company. I wish to thank all the judges for their support and special thanks to Colin Jennings, Wendy Lodge, Dave Harmer, Bev Gay, Leslie Fenton and Graham Hein whose support I depend upon. The first show for 2013 is not far away and planning is already in hand. Ron Yates. Registrar of Judges. -ooo0ooo- Species Group Meeting 11/11/12 On a very warm Sunday in November, 15 members met in the cooler suburb of Beaumont in the Adelaide hills where we had the privilege of seeing the largest collection of many varieties of the Australian species Cymbidium canaliculatum. The colours ranged from dark reddish brown through various shades of green with brown markings to pure light greens, and this was before we looked at the species brought in by the members. There were many colour varieties of the South American species Cattleya skinneri one of which was the Alba form, pure white clusters of 2 to 12 flowers about 7.5cms across held well above the foliage. Another was the type form; lilac/purple in colour, this species is the national flower of Costa Rica where it is quite common. It also grows in many other of the Central American countries from Mexico in the south to Colombia & Venezuela in the south. This is an easy species to grow here in Adelaide under shade house conditions. Coming from further south in South America is a similar species Cattleya intermedia. The form we see more often in collections here is the white form Cattleya intermedia var. Alba often labeled var. Alba. In fact it is not a true Alba as it does have traces of yellow in the throat. We were lucky to see the colored variety benched. This has petals and sepals of a very light lilac colour with a brilliant purple throat the flowers are much larger than C. OCSA 12 February 2013 skinneri. This species is very similar to another orchid benched with which it is often confused, Cattleya loddigesii (incidentally it was the first Cattleya grown and flowered in England in the late 1800, s). The last of the many Cattleya’s benched was C. amethystoglossa a species endemic to Brazil. By comparison a much larger plant having tall pseudobulbs in nature growing up to a metre tall carrying many large 10cm. pink flowers with maroon spotting. This species was once considered a variety of C. guttata differing only in the colour of the flowers but it is now recognized as a species in its own right. A species we very rarely see is Vanda tricolor a rather untidy rambling, branching plant but with many long lasting white flowers flushed with pale magenta. This species comes from Java & Bali. It was once thought to be an Australian species. It was reported to have been collected in coastal Northern Territory and a specimen, along with other orchids collected from Timor & Java was sent to Ferdinand Mueller, the Government Botanist for Victoria, for identification. It is thought there may have been a mix up and Mueller recorded it as coming from coastal Northern Territory. Since then no further specimens have been authentically collected in Australia and is now regarded as an exotic species. Another species not often seen is Papilioanthe vandarum a species from India & Burma closely related to the genus Vanda. It has a scrambling nature with stems up to 60cms tall and many narrow terete leaves. The flowers are about 5cms across creamy yellow in colour, and very long lasting. Another plant with a scrambling nature is the African species Ansellia africana a genus of just the one very variable species, on Sunday we saw plants with flowers varying in colour from pure yellow through yellow with brown markings to almost pure brown. This species looks very tropical but can be grown here in Adelaide in a cool glasshouse. It will grow into a very large plant quite quickly and this should be taken into consideration as stories abound of growers having to remove doors etc to get it out of the house, however if it is divided and repotted regularly it can be kept under control and is a rewarding species to grow. A species that got everyone’s interest was a 20cm pot of Lycaste aromatica containing 5 or 6 bulbs carrying 42 flower stems; unfortunately they were still in bud but with a little imagination we could see what a picture it will be when they all open their yellow perfumed flowers. Other species benched were: two nice Cymbidiums, one was labeled Cymbidium devonianum and the other Cym. floribundum both carrying small arching racemes of brownish creamy flowers. Two plants of Bifrenaria harrisoniae one with almost white flowers the other creamy in colour both very fragrant. The genus Oncidium was represented by Oncidium maculatum a species from Mexico, Guatemala & Honduras with large yellow/brown flowers. Three species of Phalaenopsis were benched all with small attractive flowers Phal. mariae from Philippines and Borneo, Phal. parishii from Burma, Thailand & India, Phal. venosa from Sulawesi. A delightful little Angraecum magdalenae with pure white flowers from Madagascar was benched. A small plant but with relatively large 5cms long white perfumed flowers Leptotes bicolor a species from a genus of just three species, all from Brazil. There were many species from the Pleurothallidinae, Pleurothallis platystachus, P. viduata, Restrepia cuprea, Rstp. nittorhynda and Dryadella edwallii all from South America. A very small species Pomatocalpa mcphersonii with small yellow/brown flowers from tropical Queensland and Bulbophyllum wendlandianum from the Cirrhopetalum section rounded off a very interesting day. OCSA 13 February 2013
