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Home , Aerides, Aeridinae, Aeridovanda, Christieara, Vanda

collector’s item

Aerides lawrenceae By Martin Motes Fragrant Long-Lasting for Autumn

Few orchids are as elegantly beautiful as a well-flowered specimen of lawrenceae. Cascades of rose- tipped white flowers delight the eye from a distance. Closer inspection reveals pearly white, waxy sepals and petals tipped with deep rose and a deep rose-colored lip, pro- viding a perfectly inflected contrast to the predominantly white . Well-grown can produce six 24-inch- (60-cm-) long spikes of these delightful, full-formed flowers. Close inspection also envelops the observer in the delicious fragrance that almost surpasses its aptly named relative . In the best forms the flow- ers are up to 1⅞ inches (4.5 cm), rivaling as the largest in the . Like the perfect diva, she also times her arrival on the stage perfectly: Aer. lawren- ceae appears in the autumn when few other are in bloom. One of a group of Aerides species from the Southern Hemisphere with similar habits, and flowering times, Aer. lawrenceae is most closely re- Martin Motes lated to Aerides quinquevulnera and somewhat more distantly to Aerides leeana. Aerides lawrenceae is the southernmost of these, coming from Mindanao, . James Veitch (1887–1894) states “It is often associated with Sanderiana (sic) and Sanderiana (sic) and these three noble orchids have even been observed growing on the same tree.” Gustav Reichenbach described Aer. lawrenceae (1833), naming it in honor of Lady Lawrence, the wife of the then-president of the Royal Horticul- tural Society. Carl Roebelin discovered Aer. lawrenceae while in pursuit of the “red” Phalaenopsis sanderiana. His first glimpse of both is dramatically described by Fredrick Boyle: “As they neared the surf, the whole body of islanders rushed toward them … 1 rry jo hns o n la rry dived beneath the wave, and came up at the vessel’s side. … But the first yellow cies known. … Another shot up; another. [1] Aerides lawrenceae ‘Mary Jen’, AM/AOS, head popped up just where Roebelin was Among the flowers with which every head with perfectly arranged cascades of flow- seated. Among the feathers twisted in it, was decked, Roebelin saw many Phalae- ers that characterize the species at its draggled now, he saw a spray, surely an nopsis. And most of them were ruddy” best. Grower: Tom Coffey. Aerides! But bluish-red, unlike any spe- (Swinson 1970).

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CULTURE as one might imagine [2] Aerides lawrenceae ‘Elizabeth’, AM/AOS, from Veitch’s quote, Aer. lawrenceae shares illustrating the full-formed flowers with aspects of its culture with both and distinct markings typical for the species. phalaenopsis. Definitively a warm grower, Grower: Jean Wilson. Aer. lawrenceae does best if not subjected [3] vivid markings on the sepals and petals to temperatures below 50 F (10 C) for too of Aerides quinquevulnera give the spe- long. Like vandas, this plant needs abundant cies its epithet meaning “five wounds.” and frequent watering, but must be grown The clone ‘Bischoff’s Grape Wine’, in a basket or pot that allows free drainage and rapid drying: she is a daughter of the air. AM/AOS, is shown. Grower: Carla Bare baskets or pots are usually the best sup- Bischoff. port but large chunks of wood, horticultural [4] The deep rose flowers ofAerides leeana charcoal or bark are sometimes helpful in presented on arching sprays make an environments where rapid drying occurs. impressive display on a compact plant. Aerides lawrenceae needs high light but its [5] Aerides odorata, like Aer. lawrenceae, broad leaves (totally opposite in architecture can be beautiful fragrant additions to 1 from those of Euanthe sanderiana) indicate tropical or subtropical gardens. it is best pleased with light levels closer to those favored by phalaenopsis. This species roots robustly and is exceptionally easy to 5 grow. Plants quickly develop into specimens g re all ik a s and in relatively frost-free areas are superla- Aeridinae species in producing hybrids, Aer. line of breeding was Henry tive subjects for naturalizing in trees or on lawrenceae is a short-day, autumn-blooming Furumizo (Aer. lawrenceae × V. Stuart stone walls. In temperate greenhouses, these species. Not only does this encourage its Furumizo), which has in its plants are among the most amenable of the progeny to flower strongly in the desirable background. Aeridovanda Henry Furumizo Aeridinae and are highly recommended as holiday season but, like Eua. sanderiana, produced more-manageable plants and ac- beginner’s plants for growers new to vandas it produces hybrids with spring-blooming, centuated the contrast of lip to sepal and and their relatives. long-day species that flower freely all year. petal color, which Aer. lawrenceae confers HYBRIDS the full-formed shape and Crossed to Eua. sanderiana, it produces on its offspring. Aeridovanda Kinnaree exquisite color pattern of Aer. lawrenceae, the highly successful Aeridovanda Tsuruku (Aer. lawrenceae × V. denisoniana) pro- as well as its inherent plant vigor, commend Iwasaki with delicately spotted pale flowers. duced equally fine results; the pale yellow the species to the orchid hybridist. Aeridovanda Hollyhock (Aer. lawrenceae × flowers are delicately tinged with lilac and Aerides Hermon Slade (lawrenceae × V. Rothschildiana) demonstrates the propen- are superbly fragrant of lemon. In addition rosea), a robust primary hybrid, is famous sity of Aer. lawrenceae to suppress color and to the bonus of fragrance, breeding the fra- for its ability to form spectacular specimen yield opalescent pastels in its progeny. Both grant Aer. lawrenceae to compact fragrant plants in tropical patios and shade houses. of the hybrids also illustrate the negative spring-blooming Vanda species produces Also of great value in hybridizing is the results from crossing Aer. lawrenceae with smaller plants that reward the grower with flowering season of Aer. lawrenceae. Like large plants such as Eua. sanderiana or tall several blooms a year. Eua. sanderiana, the most successful of plants such as or its hybrids: While crossing Aer. lawrenceae to plants too large for comfort in most temper- more diminutive Vanda species is an ex- 1Formerly Vanda. ate greenhouses. A more successful early cellent strategy, crossing it to ascocendas

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is a more surefire way to produce smaller diversity. Such compact, free-flowering [6] The color pattern of Aer. lawrenceae is plants. An unexpected bonus in these lines plants are an excellent way of introducing subtly discernable in the delicately col- of breeding is the amazing range of color in the best qualities of Aer. lawrenceae to even ored flowers ofChristieara Reneé Gerber the progeny that emerges when a primary the smallest collection, but if one has the ‘Leilane’, AM/AOS (Aer. lawrenceae × or near primary hybrid is used. space for a large draught, Aer. lawrenceae Ascda. Bonanza). Grower: Ernest Jolin. Ruth Murai (Aer. lawrenceae is always lovely taken neat. [7] Christieara Memoria Lillian Arnold ‘Jan × Ascda. Yip Sum Wah) amply illustrated Kadet’, AM/AOS (Aer. lawrenceae × this kaleidoscopic range of color early on. References Ascda. Meda Arnold) offers subtle color Colors in this grex range from near white Reichenbach, G. 1833. Aerides Lawrenceae. The Garden- tipped with rose, reminiscent of the Aer. er’s Chronicle XX. patterns, yet another variation on a Swinson, A. 1970. Fredrick Sander: The Orchid King. theme. Grower: Tom Coffey. lawrenceae parent, through a rainbow of Hodder and Stoughton, London. colors from pale pink to deep rose to nearly Veitch, J. 1887–94. A Manual of Orchidaceous Plants. [8] rich pastel colors and opalescent texture red and even orange. The combination of Volume 2. James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. emerge from Aer. lawrenceae hybrids, the petal from among them Christieara Ruth Murai Martin Motes, PhD, has bred hundreds of (imparted by the Ascda. Yip Sum Wah par- new hybrids and received scores of Ameri- ‘Memoria David Leach’, AM/AOS (Aer. ent) with the full shape of Aer. lawrenceae can Orchid Society awards, including three lawrenceae × Ascda. Yip Sum Wah). consistently yields award-winning form in FCCs and four Awards of Quality. His Grower: Michael Birkett. these lines of breeding. The waxy, pearllike hybrids garnered gold, silver and bronze texture of Aer. lawrenceae comes through PhD, of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, medals at the 18th World Orchid Conference in most individual clones, making them is working on a monograph of the genus shine all the brighter. Other successful in Dijon, France, where Vanda Mary Motes Vanda. His wife, Mary Motes, is author of christiearas, such as Christieara Memoria (Blue Grig × tessellata) won the trophy for the memoir of Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Kosova, Lillian Arnold (× Ascda. Meda Arnold), Best Vanda in Show. He is an accredited AOS and the cult, best-selling comic novel Or- Christieara Reneé Gerber (× Ascda. Bo- judge and author of three books and numer- chid Territory. 25000 Farmlife Road, Red- nanza) and Christieara Robsan (× Ascda. ous articles. Motes, in collaboration with land, Florida 33031 (email martinmotes@ Tan Chai Beng), reveal similar enchanting David Roberts, PhD, and Lauren Gardiner, gmail.com).

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