SOUTHERN ONTARIO ORCHID SOCIETY NEWS Summer 2012,

Volume 47, Issue 7

Web site: www.soos.ca ; Member of the Canadian Orchid Congress; Affiliated with the American Orchid Society, the Orchid Digest and the International Phalaenopsis Alliance. Membership: Annual Dues $30 per calendar year (January 1 to December 31 ). Surcharge $15 for newsletter by postal service. Membership secretary: Marilyn Crompton, #1908-21 Overlea Blvd., Toronto ON M4H 1P2, phone 416-467-0018 Executive: President, Yvonne Schreiber, 905-473-3405; Vice- president Laura Liebgott, 905-883-5290; Secretary, Sue Loftus 905-839-8281; Treasurer, John Vermeer, 905-823-2516 Other Positions of Responsibility: Program, Mario Ferrusi; June plant of the month, Doctor, Doug Kennedy; Meeting Set up, Tom Atkinson; Vendor and Cymbidium Little Black Sambo Sales table coordinator, Diane Ryley; Membership, Marilyn 'Black Magic'. AM-AOS presented Crompton, Eric Terreau, Karen Hazelton; Web Master, Max by Jan Smid photo PP Wilson; Newsletter, Peter and Inge Poot; Annual Show, Peter Poot; Refreshments, Joe O’Regan. Conservation Committee, Susan Shaw, Tom Atkinson; Show table, Iryna Bonya. Meeting Sunday, Honorary Life Members: Terry Kennedy, Doug Kennedy, Inge August 5, SOOS Poot, Peter Poot, Joe O’Regan, Diane Ryley, Wayne Hingston. Orchidfest, 10 am Annual Show: February 16 – 17, 2013 – 4 pm, at the TBG.

Program

10 am – 12 noon Orchid Judging by the Toronto Judging Centre. Bring your for judging at 9:30, observe the judges at work 12 noon – 1 pm Pot luck lunch . Bring a dish to share. The drinks will be provided 1 pm, two lectures by Australian orchid expert Phil Spence: 1. Lost orchids: this part is about following in Friedrich Richard Rudolf Schlechter's (http://www.orchids.co.in/orchidologists/friedrich-richard-rudolf-schlechter.shtm ) footsteps on his trip to the Torricelli Mountains in the west Sepik Province looking for the many specimens which were lost during the second world war . 2. The Dendrobiums section Latouria and some of the cooler growing hybrids.

Phil will have some Dendrobium, Sarcochilus and Cymbidium for sale. Advance orders may be placed with Jean Ikeson ([email protected] ) Please see our website www soos.ca for details and cut off date.

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President’s Remarks Fellow orchid  Culture sheets are available through the aficionados: Canadian Orchid Congress website – www.canadianorchidcongress.ca – Thank you goes out to those of you who rd available in both English and French and brought in treats to share for our June 3 address Canadian growing conditions. meeting. The letters of the month for  American Orchid Society website – September will be last names that start with the www.aos.org – also features orchid letters N – R. We are asking anyone whose last culture sheets as well as a “Beginning name starts with this letter to bring in a treat to Grower” section – i.e. Somebody gave share. These treats should be finger foods only me this orchid plant? What do I do i.e. something that can be picked up with your now? fingers and does not require a plate or fork.  Newcomers Group with Wayne The Tour of Orchid growers took place on June Hingston – Not just limited to brand 9th and 10th. I am sure that those of you took new orchid growers. If you want a advantage of this opportunity to visit some of better idea of why your plants are doing our stellar growers were appreciative of the what they are doing, Wayne takes you time these people set aside for your visits. through every aspect of orchid care – Thank you to everyone who permitted us to you need to understand your plant if visit their growing areas and answered our you want it to flourish and bloom again. many questions.  Round Table Demonstrations – these informative sessions will be resuming Be sure to mark August 5th on your calendars. next year at the April meeting. This is our annual Orchidfest and potluck. You are reminded to bring your favorite dish to  More information about the society share. What you bring is what we eat. S.O.O.S.  A new pamphlet is being drafted which will provide the beverages. Phil Spence from will feature the benefits of Australia will be our guest speaker. Members membership, highlights of the orchid of any other orchid society are cordially invited year, how the society is organized, rules to join us for this special event. for vendor and members’ sales tables, The Town Hall Forum: we have not been etc. ignoring your questions and opinions.  Welcoming atmosphere  This is something to which each of us  Suggested orchid topics can contribute. While we will have,  List of topics have been forwarded to starting in September, a Walmart type Mario Ferrusi for consideration as greeter at the door from 12 until1 p.m. speaker subjects. to welcome people coming in and

answer questions, we can all try to talk  Handouts from guest speakers to someone new (to us or the society)  Check out Inge Poot’s notes in the and ask them how they are doing or if monthly newsletter – she does an they have any questions. excellent job of recording the contents Talk to me at a meeting; e-mail me at of each guest speaker’s presentation. [email protected], or phone me at

905-473-3405.  More orchid cultural information  The members of the executive are  Yvonne Schreiber wearing ”Ask me about orchid” badges Welcome New Members – if we don’t know the answer to your question we will try to direct you to Amy Chartrand , Pamela Singh, Sandra Awang someone who does.

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service of the American Orchid Society and is Coming Events open to all! Bring us your flowering orchids. We July need the practice. 7, Toronto Centre judging 1 pm at the Toronto Botanical Garden Plant of the Month 21. MJC judging, JBMtl. 10 am Cym. Little Black Sambo 'Black Magic'. AM-AOS, August brought in by Jan Smid. Jan reports: It is owned 5, Toronto Judging Centre and SOOS and grown by Mrs. Susan Hong, not a member Orchidfest, 10 am, TBG. of any Orchid Society or Association. When I 18. MJC judging, JBMtl. 10 am saw the plant, I convinced her to lend it to me for showcasing it to SOOS members as I believe September a plant like this must be seen! 1, Toronto Centre judging 1 pm at the The plant came to her from Taiwan as a small Toronto Botanical Garden seedling ( mericlone ) 8 years ago. It has 2, SOOS meeting Toronto Botanical Garden, flowered only once before, 6 years ago with a sales 12 noon, program 1 pm15. MJC judging, much smaller flower spike and one third of the JBMtl. 10 am flowers it has now. Although fairly robust now, the plant is a slow grower and each pseudo bulb 15. MJC judging, JBMtl. 10 am takes 3-4 years to mature and produce flowers. 29-30 Central Ontario Orchid Society Show Expectation is multiple flower spikes within two years. October The plant has been grown in the greenhouse in 6, Toronto Centre judging 1 pm at the moderate conditions, 60 - 70% humidity and Toronto Botanical Garden intermediate temperatures. It requires a lot of good light. 7, SOOS meeting Toronto Botanical Garden, All of the flowers have been fully open since the sales 12 noon, program 1 pm first week of March and only one flower has 13, Ecos Show Montreal, MJC judging been lost to date.

27, RBG Show and COC meeting I was reluctant to be in a picture with it as I was just a courier. Too bad the flowers are so small and would not fully cover my face, but I AOS Judging Results tried. Please note, all of these awards are provisional until published by the American Orchid Society Greenhouse Sale: July 27-30 noon Toronto Centre Judging June 2, ‘til 9pm. Rhyncholaeliocattleya Orglade's Taffeta x Orchids, Pots, Tools, Books Cattleya walkeriana HCC-AOS 76 points, Wilson Ng. Contact Bob at 416-789-7722 Dendrochilum coccineum CHM-AOS 83 points, Location: 51 Regina Ave. (Bathurst & Doug and Terry Kennedy 401) Promenea Ben Berliner (1) HCC-AOS 79 points Alba Paphiopedilums by David Promenea Ben Berliner (4)AM-AOS 82 points Sorokowsky (transcribed and altered to be Promenea Ben Berliner (4) CCM-AOS 82 points suitable for an article by Inge Poot) Promenea Ben Berliner (5)HCC-AOS 77 points David gave us a very thought provoking talk about his favorite and Promenea Ben Berliner (Group of 12) AQ-AOS. All Promeneas by Mario and Conni Ferrusi. albinistic ones are his special interest. This is the continuation of the June newsletter article. Note! The next regular judging will be held at the TBG on July 7 at 1 pm. AOS Judging is a Paphiopedilum culture General pointers: 3

 Water quality is key. Eric Lee is testing prior to offering it for general sale is also based on Pinus radiata bark...)  RO or rainwater is best. Brachypetalum culture (eg. P. bellatulum, P.  Do not feed too heavily (100 ppm niveum) nitrogen every time you water. Use half that for Phragmipediums). David uses  Warm growers (65 F nights ideal). If you MSU fertilizer. have down to 50F nights, using a heating mat under the pots makes it  He drenches them with seaweed possible to grow them just fine. Lee extract every few weeks in the growing Valley Tools sells heating mats. These season. species love warm roots and setting the  Repot before medium breaks down. temperature of the heating mat at 20C  Keep water out of crown, especially in for summer and winter suits them well. winter.  Low light.  Water thoroughly, flushing the medium.  NO WET FEET!!!  Do not overpot! Parvisepalum Culture (eg: P. armeniacum, P.  Our speaker uses extra watering to help macranthum, see later for P. emersonii) plants when it gets too hot in the  Variable climates for these species. summer.  Some tolerate into the 30’s F in the  When Erwinia rot strikes (the smell is winter. unmistakable) spray with 3-5%  Our speaker grows them intermediate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and keep with medium light. drier.  Paph armeniacum should be grown Because alba clones of species tend to be less bright, dry out between watering, use vigorous than their normally coloured brethren, oyster shell in the mix and feed with culture mistakes can be more fatal with alba Calcium since it grows over lime in its clones. To increase vigor for alba clones natural habitat. produced by line breeding the out-crossing to an unrelated normal clone then sibbing the  Paph macranthum –grow like Paph most desirable two offspring-all of which will be armeniacum! of normal colour- to get back (one quarter) Multifloral Culture (eg: P. parishii –warm, P. albas is a good way to get a more genetically rothschildianum-cool) varied and therefore more vigorous third generation of albas.  Bright light, drier conditions. As far as the growing medium goes our speaker  Some tolerate cool temperatures. told us about Pinus radiata bark that he has  Most grow best warm. Paph. been using with excellent results. The New Haynaldianum must not get under 65F Zealand trade name for the bark is “Besgrow” at night. sold by Orchiata. He uses the seedling size bark (do not use medium size bark –for large Paphs Maudiae type Culture (eg: P. lawrencianum, P. use a size between seedling bark and the callosum) medium bark used for cattleyas) and mixes it  Moderate light. with 50% sponge rock/ large perlite of a size similar to the seedling bark and has found that  Warm temperatures. it lasts much longer than the barks available in Culture of the Troublemakers!: North America. The roots grown in this mix are Paphiopedilum tigrinum is notoriously difficult phenomenal! (I wonder if the new medium that to keep alive! Its ecology is not fully 4 understood, even though we know it grows in your invalid and allow air exchange. an environment similar to that of Paph villosum. When you see a new root, pot into The species is sensitive to salts. Re-pot every seedling mix and moisten, then place year. the pot into a bag and keep there until the plant is growing normally. Paphiopedilum violascens :  False roots – If possible remove the  Grows in wet humus. bottom or two –split them first and  No salts. remove each half separately - to expose  Hard to strike a balance between moist the stem of the rootless plantlet. Twist and keeping the medium fresh. Repot a piece of floral wire or long twist-tie yearly . with a single twist around the base of the plant and if the stem is not long  Warm grower. Place on a heat mat. enough maybe anchor it by gently Paphiopedilum sangii: twisting it around the leaf bases. Pot into seedling mix with the addition of  Warm and humid, but needs a slight charcoal, using the two ends of the wire chill to bloom. to anchor the stub in the mix. Keep  Does not tolerate salts. moist – possibly by misting it or if not in a moist greenhouse by enclosing it in a Paphiopedilum emersonii: clean, clear plastic bag and then  Native habitat has dry winter keeping it bright but out of direct sun. monsoons. But the humidity is high The night temperatures should be during the dry winter. about 50-54F (10-12C) and the days 70F (20C)  Tolerates cold winter nights, but must be kept dry or it rots A last hint- the best complex Paphiopedilums are to be had from the “Orchid Zone” Company.  Wet summers

Paphiopedilum helenae: During the May 19-20, 2012 weekend in Ann  Very loose media. Use large bark. Arbor, MI we had a great series of lectures, one  Dry winters. by our own Doug Kennedy on the genus  Wet summers. But does not tolerate Lycaste. wet feet. Their culture is difficult enough that I think it How to rescue rootless Paphiopedilums: should be repeated in our bulletin. The genus has been broken up as a result of DNA studies.  ‘Sphag in a bag’- put your rootless Idas or Sudamerlycastes were the first to leave invalid into a clear, clean plastic bag the genus. Maybe others will follow. There are with some moist, but not dripping dead evergreen types and deciduous types in the sphagnum moss in the “future root” genus as it stands right now.. area. If possible, remove the bottom to expose the stem and allow Evergreen Lycastes like to be constantly moist new roots to emerge from it without (their roots are hairy, just like other terrestrials having to force their way through a leaf. like Paphiopedilums and Cymbidiums) and this Slit the leaf down the middle before means slugs love their pots! Try an iron removing each half –fewer disasters sulphate solution or Ron McHatton’s suggestion this way! Place the invalid next to the of soaking 113g (4 ounces) of chopped Quassia damp sphagnum. Close the bag and amara chips in one gallon or 4 liters of warm to place it into a bright area out of direct hot water for 12 to 24 hours. Strain and use as a sunlight. Open once a week to check on spray. 5

Grow in vanda light –but that makes them Phragmipediums can be mericloned with just a choice host plants for scale and mealybugs..... few plants as the resulting mericones by using Try a spray of two teaspoons neem oil (Peter protocorms or bud tips. Decyk sells it) plus one teaspoon Safer’s Soap Orchids Limited was started in 1978 by Jason’s concentrate (Garden Centres) or if in a rush- father Jerry and it was a true family business one teaspoon dishwash detergent, all in one with even 5 year-old Jason trying to help. Jason is trying to continue the tradition by starting to liter of warm water. Repeat weekly for at least subtly arousing the interest of his own five-year three times. old daughter in the most fascinating part of Pot in a mix of New Zealand sphagnum and hybridizing by having her pollinate flowers for her father! I can just hear Jason telling her “no sponge rock. dear this is too hard for a little girl like you” with Grow at 57-80F (night/day). the inevitable response “No, no I CAN do it, just let me try”, then “Oh All right just this once..” and If you want to set a seed-pod, make sure to use the newest willing child labourer is born! only big husky plants as pod parents or you may The species going into hybrids are all used for lose the plant(s). It takes 9-10 months to specific purposes: mature a seed pod, but after 3-4 months green lindleyanum brings branching pod culture can be done and is actually of the inflorescence to the mix. The species has preferred, because the sterilizing of mature greenish, light brown-veined flowers with open capsules can kill the seed. that have a dark red edge and a single half twist at the distal end of the petals. The ventral sepal If you wish to buy a flask, don’t unflask the is small. seedlings until they have tiny bulbs. When they Phragmipedium sargentianum (by many are grass-like they invariably die when out of taxonomists considered a variety of the above the flask –quite unlike real grass... species) has dark red edges plus a good The deciduous species have to be given a dry suffusion of red increasing as you approach the tips. As well, the pouch has a lot of red rest when the leaves start to turn yellow. But if overlaid on it. It is amazing how this bit of red the bulbs start to shrivel, mist them maybe daily gets spread around the flowers of its hybrids. once or twice so the bulbs crease, but do not Phragmipedium longifolium comes in four shrivel. varieties and not all are equally useful in In purchasing one of Doug’s favorite species, breeding. All have pale green flowers with light Lycaste schilleriana get it from a source in brown veins and a red picotee on definitely twisted petals. The species has more elongated Panama or Colombia not of one in Ecuador. The pouches than the previous two species. It has a form found in Ecuador is half the size of the one pair of noticeable dark hairy “eyebrows” on top found in Panama and Colombia. of the . The species has a large ventral sepal. Phragmipedium Breeding and Culture by The Phrag longifolium variety hartwegii is used Jason Fischer of Orchids Limited, because it imparts vigour. Its petals are very narrow and twist as well as curl –all over the (transcribed by Inge Poot from a June 3, 2012 place! This variety is often given species status. talk to SOOS) Phrag longifolium variety roezlii has twisted People don’t usually comment about the talks I petals, slightly bent down, but they are straight transcribe to me, but this time several people not curled in every which direction. Some told me that they thought this talk really got the taxonomists give it separate species status. But point across about what the breeders are trying the main reason it was used so much in hybrids to accomplish and how to enhance the plants by was because it was the first form of the species good culture! that was discovered! Seems that people in the past compulsively crossed what was available, Regarding culture, Jason stressed that his just like amateurs do today! climate is much like ours in Toronto and therefore what works for him should work for us Phrag. longifolium variety hincksianum has too. very long slightly bent down twisted petals. The

6 clone ‘Jason’s Choice’ has a 25 cm natural Mexipedium (formerly: Phragmipedium) spread. This will be good for increasing size in xerophyticum is a tiny rambling species hybrids. adapted to dry environments. It has perky little rounded white flowers with “wrestler stance” Phramipedium boisserianum is a mostly green arm-like petals and a pink “nose” –the species with dark green reticulation on the staminode. Jason has crossed it with the giant sepals. All the edges are tightly crisped and the Phrag caudatum and has now 5cm (2 inch) dorsal and petals have a thin black line near the seedlings. They are slow growing.... edges. The ventral is large and rounded framing the pouch beautifully. The petals and sometimes Phragmipedium besseae was the first the dorsal are twisted. This species is very spectacularly coloured Phrag species useful for breeding white or pink flowers, since discovered and it had been overlooked for most forms of the species do not have muddy centuries! Probably the collectors just looked for veins. other variations of green and brown slippers and never saw the red ones amongst the non-orchid Phragmipedium schlimii is a cute miniature plants they mimicked to fool and high-jack their species with white flowers, whose dorsal and pollinators. The deep red flowers of the best petals repeat the rounded shape of the fat little forms are wonderful! Yellow forms have been pouch. The most common form has a pink discovered as well and they too are great for overlay on the proximal portion of the petals, hybridizing. light pink veins on the dorsal and heavier red to deep pink markings on the pouch. The After not doing much Phrag hybridizing for the staminode is yellow. For the longest time it was last 50-100 years, hybridizers went into high the only fragrant Phrag species known. It has gear! Just in passing it was noted that the forms been used extensively to breed pink slipper of the species from Peru and Ecuador were orchids. It was crossed with Phrag longifolium to different, but not all taxonomists agreed that produce the famous Phrag Sedenii even though they were separate species and the hybrids most clones so labeled in the past were really have muddled the issue royally. The Peruvian Phrag Cardinale a back-cross of Phrag sedenii form collected from Zamora is the variety or to Phrag schlimii. species Phrag delassandroi and it generally has more orange flowers, with more pointed, Phragmipedium fischeri may just be another down-curved petals and inflorescences that form of the above species. Good forms of it have branch much more readily than those of the a heavy pink overlay on the entire flower, only Ecuadorean form of the species, the original leaving white central patches on the petals and Phrag besseae collected at Paute. a white rim on the pouch. This form is very useful for breeding pink flowers. The staminode Line breeding has flattened and widened the can be either in the pouch or outside of it. Not petals and deepened the colour in both diploid surprisingly with such a staminode, the flowers and tetrapoloid forms. The present work of self-pollinate. Some forms of it lack the Orchids Limited with this species consists in staminodal shield and these forms self-pollinate finding clones that have wide segments of deep immediately. red colour without colour breaks –hard to find, because as the flowers enlarge the colour gets Phragmipedium manzurii is a fairly recently diluted in some areas of enlargement. Terry discovered species from the Santander State in Root of Orchid Zone’s line breeding on the other Colombia. It is very similar to the above two hand, is concentrating on enlarging the flowers species. The flowers are superficially shaped but their flowers are more orange. like Phrag schlimii, but the sepals are a pale yellow to pale chartreuse which contrasts nicely A peach form of the species has emerged from with the yellow staminode and the white lip and the breeding as well. its red rim and red stain down the centre front of The clone Phrag bessiae ‘Who Knows Why’ AM- the pouch. This species is being used to extend AOS from Frank Smith has a natural spread of the colour palette of hybrids. This species is also 8.3 by 6.1 cm, petal width was 3.1cm and at the fragrant, sharing this desirable trait with time was the best ever seen of this species. P.schlimii and P. fischeri. There was a slight amount of colour break to Phragmipedium andreetae from NW Ecuador mar the otherwise perfect flowering, but for is a poorly shaped pale pink species. It is rarely some reason the judges only gave it an AM of used for breeding because of its poor form. 81 points, hence the clonal name....They must have wanted to reset the standard by quite a bit in view of the great number of awards granted to 7 this species. Currently, Orchids Limited are Next Jason discussed the line of breeding working with their colour-break free, deeper red starting with Phrag longifolium X Phrag clone ‘Rob’s choice’ AM-AOS of 87 points with besseae, the famous Phrag Eric Young. The a natural spread of 8.7 X 6.6cm and a petal flowers of this cross are big because of the width of 2.9cm. The colour and size of this longifolium, but have fairly narrow petals, species is better in winter flowerings. Plants with especially if the parents were diploid. The colour flowers of over 10cm natural spread are not that can be from pink to medium orange. At the time uncommon anymore. it was first made it was highly desired, but has been superseded. Making the cross with a 4n Phrag besseae forma flavum is also being Phrag besseae the progeny will have more of improved. Orchids Limited has clones such as the besseae in them and start to be wider and ‘Yellow Giant’ that are almost the same good redder, but will be poorly breeding triploids. A shape and size as their normally coloured clone problem with 4n clones of Phrag Eric Young is ‘Rob’s Choice’ This yellow form was obtained by they tend to have jagged petal edges eg ‘Rocket colchicine treating 2N flavum plantlets, while still Fire’, ‘Jambalay’. However they are used a lot in flask. because of their great fertility. A new variety has been found in Peru. It stays The most famous progeny of Phrag Eric Young low in stature and the flowers nod. The latter is Phrag Don Wimber. It resulted from back- trait is not desirable, but the growth habit would crossing Phrag Eric Young with Phrag besseae. be good in hybrids. Good clones of this cross have large orange 3N clones reach blooming size faster than their flowers with wide pointed petals and branching 4N counterparts and are found quite frequently inflorescences. in the trade. When evaluating them in your Using Phrag sargentianum instead of Phrag collection, remember that the flowers of the first longifolium with Phrag besseae gives Phrag flowering will be significantly smaller. Wait for Memoria Dick Clements, a cross somewhat the third flowering when they should have similar to Phrag Eric Young. These flowers tend attained their potential. to be smaller than Phrag Eric Young but redder, Hybridizing with Phrag. besseae: due to the good colour present in the Phrag sargentianum. The petals are more spoon- The first hybrid discussed showed that colour shaped rather than the lance-shaped ones of suppressing genes have to be carefully Phrag Eric Young. It too can have branching considered. The cross of Phrag Cardinale with inflorescences. besseae was named Phrag. April Fool because the progeny did not express the besseae red Crossing Phrag Memoria Dick Clements with colour but only some of the pink colour of the Phrag Hanne Popow gives Phrag Elisabeth Cardinale. As a matter of fact it looked a lot like Castle Choosing the reddest fullest clone of this the equally disappointing Phrag Hanne Popow and back-crossing it onto Phrag besseae (schlimii X besseae) where most progeny are a (preferably the ‘Rob’s Choice’ clone) gives pale pink. But at least the flowers are as round Phrag Windsor Castle. The clone ‘Windsor as Phrag schlimii. Sibbing this cross gets some Red’ was very nice indeed! Lovely shape, good clones with the red colouring again expressed. size at 8.9 x 6.6 and the deepest velvety red! Since Phrag. schlimii is a small flowered species Crossing Phrag besseae with Phrag Memoria it is not easy to get large flowers with its hybrids. Dick Clements results in Phrag Jason Fischer. Their clone of Phrag April Fool ‘Fool’s Gold’ is Jason jokingly told us that the first plant of this better than the two clones awarded by AOS in cross to bloom was deformed and he figured both shape and the lovely deep pink lip colour. that his father half named it for him to pay him Crossing Phrag. April Fool with Phrag besseae back for all the disagreements they have had! ‘Rob’s Choice’ gives Phrag Jimi Hendrix. This But subsequent bloomings of various plants cross gives anywhere from rose pink flowers made it clear that this was a superb cross with the lower half of the petals almost white to capable of producing very deep red flowers of round reds to (not surprisingly!) some that are great shape! (Foiled again!) An example is the almost like Phrag. besseae. Many plants appear clone ‘Red Admiral’. The plant shown was a bud to be aneuploid, that is have an uneven number tip mericlone! The wonderful Eric Young of chromosomes. Depending on which species foundation clone of this hybrid ‘Grouville’ FCC- contributed any extra chromosomes will AOS was a 4n clone with wonderful shape and determine which traits are strengthened. colour. (The picture did not quite do the plant justice –my husband and I saw it in bloom in

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Jersey and we were just bowled over by it! Line breeding for more solid red flowers, Phrag When awarded the flowers measured 10.9 x Jason Fischer crossed back onto Phrag 8.1cm in natural spread) The clone ‘Ronez besseae gives Phrag Scarlet O’Hara. The 2n Point’ has even rounder petals and is just as plants have great colour but terrible form, while deep red. the converted 4n plants are stunning! The 3n plants with the 4n parent being Phrag besseae The cross Phrag Jason Fischer can also have are very nice as well. Other crosses made to progeny whose red has pink tones in it. Some increase size of progeny were Phrag Fischer’s good examples of it are ‘Corbiere’ FCC-AOS Fire (Super Rubies X besseae) and Phrag (93pts, Nat.Spead 11.0 x 6.2cm) with saturated Mirage (Fischer’s Fire X besseae) None are red- pink flowers or the clone ‘La Hogue Bie’ awarded. FCC-AOS 97 points, was of an even deeper red- pink. The cross of Phrag Praying Sargent with Phrag besseae, Phrag Paul Fischer, was named to Culture is very important for a plant to reach its honour Jason’s brother and produced some potential. A really well-grown Jason Fischer colourful very floriferous plants even though the should have up to six flowers open at the peak shape was not ideal. The plant pictured, the of its flowering and have a minimum of two clone ‘Ultima’ was enormous! It must be a branches. vigorous cross. The 3n Phrag Jason Fischers are a good choice While on the subject of floriferous Phrag for the hobby grower because of their vigour and besseae crosses, Phrag Andean Fire should be faster growth. The best clones will have mentioned. Back-crossing it onto Phrag besseae branched inflorescences at maturity and can gives Phrag Inca Fire, some clones of which have several flowers open at the same time. The are very floriferous and generally have flowers flowers are almost as round as those of the 4n that are larger than those of Andean Fire. The clones. Jason chose as a backdrop for a 3n clone of Inca Fire shown carried six flowers! plant the beard of Terry Root(?). Terry seems to have an uncanny resemblance to Hagrid of Harry Potter fame but exerts his magic influence over red slippers instead of dragons! To be continued

A Star is born.

Crystal Star Orchids offers broker service with over 15 top orchid nurseries from Taiwan and the U.S.A, including:

Ching Hua Orchids, In Charm, Krull Smith, and Sunset Valley.

Our website is up and running. If you have any questions please feel free to email us at: [email protected] or call Eric Lee at (905) 478-8398.

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June 2012 Show Table

Class First Second Third Class 1 Epidendrum Mabel Kanda x Encyclia tampensis Cattleya walkeriana Encyclia cordigera var. alba Cattleya Alliance Joe O’Regan ‘Kenny’ FCC/AOS Rosanna Li Synea Tan

Rhyncholaeliocattleya [Rlc.] (Potinara) Duh’s Wisdom Synea Tan Class 2 Paphiopedilum Weathervane Phragmipedium lindenii x Hanne Paphiopedilum Heinz Ernstberger Popov Paphiopedilum Woessner Tigerprim Anita Kho Jocelyn Webber Paphiopedilum Weathervane

Jan Smid Class 3 Neofinetia falcata Neofinetia falcata Neofinetia falcata ‘Sorbiryu’ ‘Miyakohabutae’ Phalaenopsis and Henry So Leslie Ee Vanda Alliance Leslie Ee

Class 4 Oncidium Sharry Baby Aliceara [Alcra.] Pacific Nova Wilsonara Tigersette Oncidium and related Synea Tan Henry GLowka ‘Wyld Court’ AM/AOS/RHS Anita Kho Class 5 Cymbidium Black Sambo ‘Black Magic’ Cymbidium Jan Smid

Class 6 Dendrobium farmeri Dendrobium secundum var alba Dendrobium Golden Fantasy Dendrobium ‘Peter Micha’ CCM/AOS Anita Kho Synea Tan Peter and Sherry Decyk Class 7 Catasetum Ten Dragons Lycaste aromatica Trichopilia Elizabeth Ann ‘Woodlands’ All Others Synea Tan ??? Alex Antanaitis

Class 9 Paphiopedilum basket Baskets or Displays Stan Luk

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