The Atlanta Orchid Society Bulletin
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The Atlanta Orchid Society Bulletin The Atlanta Orchid Society is affiliated with the American Orchid Society, the Orchid Digest Corporation and the Mid-America Orchid Congress Newsletter Editors: Mark Reinke & Valorie Boyer www.AtlantaOrchidSociety.org May, 2018 Volume 79: Number 5 MAY MONTHLY MEETING Monday, May 14, 2018 Atlanta Botanical Garden Day Hall - 8pm “Deceit Pollination in Orchids” Robert Pemberton Bob has a PhD in Entomology from the University of California, Berkeley. Before retiring, he worked as a Research Entomologist for the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. He was a foreign explorer searching the world for co-evolved natural enemies of introduced insect and which they collect when introduced. The Atlanta Orchid weed pests of natural pollinating the owers. This Society made an impressive environments, for use as meant that this orchid bee and showing at the Deep South potential biological control most probably other orchid bees Orchid Show in Savannah, agents of the pests. Bob enjoyed don’t actually need their orchid Georgia with the Society and seeing orchids in the wild during mutualists, although the 800 members being awarded a his travels and grew some while orchid species involved are number of ribbons for their living in Florida. His interest in completely dependent on entries. Members with orchids increased dramatically particular orchid bees for their ribbon-winning entries included after a beautiful Central pollination. Bob has studied the Doug Hartung, HB Blythe-Hart, American orchid bee appeared pollination of orchids in Florida, David Mellard, Geni Smith, and on his porch in Ft Lauderdale. His Ecuador and China. He has Danny Lentz. HB, Doug and Geni research to understand how this contributed articles to Orchids received a special ‘Thank You’ for newly naturalized orchid bee magazine. their work in making the exhibit a could live in Florida without its success. Upcoming events were orchid mutualists, which don’t Minutes of the April occur there, led to the discovery In This Issue that the male bees can nd and 2018 Meeting of the collect particular chemicals Atlanta Orchid Society 1 Previous Meeting Minutes needed in their courtship from the leaves of many dierent The April meeting was held on 2 ATLOS Volunteer Listing & plants. These chemicals included April 9 th 2018 at the Atlanta Upcoming Orchid Class the primary fragrance Botanical Gardens. The meeting compounds of the bee’s orchid was presided by President David 3 Events Calendar & mutualists in Central America Mellard. Guests were welcomed Monthly Ribbon Winners and new members were announced: AOS, Atlanta in both cases at the Orchid ospring is the cross with E. alata because of their compact size Judging Center; Monthly judging Red – Catteya intermedia forma Society of Highlands County (CA) called E. Boricana, which is also and brightly colored owers that April 14 (Saturday); Spring coerulea ‘Super Blue’ – Carson occur in a myriad of patterns. Barnes Show. In the latter award the easily grown, oriferous, and Mid-American Orchid plant had 1864 open owers and worth seeking out. They are so variable that most of Conference and the West Shores White – Cattleya Walgery – 466 additional buds! The owers the seedlings from any given Orchid Show, April 27-29, Carson Barnes show good dark color on the Red – Anacheilium (Syn. cross will be distinctly dierent Strongsville, OH; AtlOS Board of segments and above average Prosthechea) chacoensis – Dan from their siblings in pattern and Directors Meeting, Saturday, May size. At close view, it can be seen Williamson hue. However, nding the right White – Cattlianthe Jewel Box – combination of conditions in 5 th at Southern Bistro on Darrell Demeritt that the “pink” lip is actually While the genus name Roswell Road, 1-3PM; AOS white overlaid with many closely Anacheilium, (literally “lip your own growing area to keep Monthly Judging, Atlanta Class II – spaced purple lines. upwards”) was proposed in 1842 these beauties happy can take Judging Center, May 12 Cymbibum Group It should be noted that while for all the species in this group some trial and error, and they (Saturday); and the Memphis the ower quality award will also that are nonresupinate, Kew does aren’t good choices for a Orchid Society Show will be on Blue – Cymbidium unknown – laissez-faire approach. Darrell Demeritt apply to any division or not currently recognize them as May 18-20. The annual Ice Cream mericlone of the original separate from Prosthechea. The area of Jamaica their Social and Greenhouse Tour is There are both deeper colored Class III – awarded plant, cultural awards Whether lip upwards or down, all ancestor species come from is tentatively scheduled for June 11 and near white variations found in Dendrobium Group do not, as they are bestowed to of these species can be called the Cockpit Region, a (Monday). Annual membership the wild, but the typical color form the grower/owner of the plant distinguished from Encyclia by rugged landscape covering a dues are now past due. Annual described above, in my mind, has Blue – Dendrobium hancockii - based on the condition at the their thin textured, generally large section of the interior of the Carson Barnes dues are Individual - $30; the most distinct appeal. the wild. time of exhibition. wider leaves, and laterally west half of the island. It consists Household - $45. The next To do well, Cattleya schroederae E. bractescens is denitely a compressed, softer pseudobulbs. of a limestone plateau that is This unusual species from the Red – Dendrobium Nestor – monthly meeting of the Atlanta needs frequent water, combined species worth seeking out for this highly eroded into steep knobby mountains in Yunnan Province, David and Janice Lankford Orchid Society will be held on with perfect drainage while climate where it seems to be easy White – Encyclia alata var. virella hills separated by deep narrow China, when mature, looks more May 14 at 8:00 PM at the Atlanta actively growing. This is usually to grow. While some species of – Dan Williamson valleys. Geologists refer to this like a small twiggy shrub with White – Dendrobium nobile – Botanical Gardens, Day Hall. The from about May to October. Then, Danny Lentz & Dianne Morgan the genus are slow to form type of formation as karst sparse foliage than an orchid. It Class V – program is to be announced. is must have a drier period in clumps, this one will do so landscape. In the Cockpit is a plant that most growers nd Oncidium Group Hope to see you there! December to March, where there quickly. The plants are compact Region, it is densely covered in dicult to maintain in our hot Class IV – is a longer interval between with small round pseudobulbs Blue – Tolumnia “Pink Buttery” – scrubby vegetation. The summer climate as it comes from Epidendrum Group Minutes respectfully submitted by watering, and when light is as and two or three narrow leaves. Kurt Drewke & Arial humidity is typically 70% or elevations where the all-time Darrell Demeritt, Secretary. bright as the plants can tolerate. Blue – Encyclia bractescens The inorescences are thin and Christiansen higher year round, while rainfall record high is what our average In the natural habitat, the ‘Jennifer,’ AM/AOS – Carson wiry with up to ten owers each, is only moderate but consistent daytime temperature is for Atlanta Orchid Society temperatures are intermediate Barnes and often with one small side This beautiful, full owered and the temperature is always almost three months of the year. Monthly Ribbon Winners year round without much branch. They last two months or Tolumnia was either sold under warm, but seldom hot due to the Carson has done a great job with March 2018 variation, and it prefers nights in For some reason Carson wrote sometimes longer. an unregistered trade name, or elevation of one to two thousand this plant and it is about as good the 60’s and days not above 80F if Encyclia plicata on his entry slip, The best and most awarded the actual cross name was feet above sea level. Notes by Mark Reinke possible, with tolerance both as I have seen in person. but this plant is denitely missing or omitted from the The plants are typically Photos by Darryl Wattley above and below those values if However, there are photos of Encyclia bractescens, and the entry form. While this would growing on twigs in this care is taken to keep plants drier plants that are growing under photo of it shows that the name present problems if exhibiting Class I – when cooler and well ventilated more comfortable conditions for is correct on the plant tag. April the plant in an AOS sanctioned Cattleya Group when warmer. The owers, as the species, such as Australia and is the peak bloom month for this show or judging, it doesn’t mentioned can last well, up to 8 or South Africa, which are compact and vigorous species present any challenges for Blue – Cattleya schroederae – 10 weeks, but moisture should not impressive in size and have that comes from mostly lower understanding how to grow it as Carson Barnes be allowed to stay on them as hundreds of owers at once. elevations of the Atlantic slope in opposed to some other Tolumnia their delicate texture can be easily Den. hancockii should be the southernmost states of hybrid. That is because nearly all This large owered species, marred. watered heavily in spring and Mexico, as well as Belize, breeding in this group traces native to the mountains of Surprisingly, this delicately summer, then reduced in winter, Guatemala and Honduras. more than 95% of its family tree Colombia, is not considered one colored orchid is the starting point but without allowing the plant This plant is presumably a to just two Jamaican species, of the easier Cattleya to cultivate, of over 2,000 hybrids in the stay dry for extended periods.