Atlanta Orchid Society Newsletter

The Atlanta Orchid Society Bulletin

Affiliated with the American Orchid Society, the Orchid Digest Corporation and the Mid-America Orchid Congress 2001 Recipient of the American Orchid Society’s Distinguished Affiliated Societies Service Award Newsletter Editor: Danny Lentz

Volume 46: Number 3 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

MARCH EVENTS

The Meeting: 8:00 Monday, March 14 at Atlanta Botanical Garden Kurt Studier on Growing Masdevallias in the South

At the society's March meeting, Kurt Studier will speak about growing Masdevallias in the South. Kurt runs Mountain View Orchids in Greenville, South Carolina along with his business partner Barry Drake. Kurt will be bringing plants for sale including Masdevallias, Paphs, Phals, and other miscellaneous genera. You can contact Kurt in advance if you are looking for something in particular. Contact information: Phone - 864-325-0705; email - [email protected]; web site - www.mountainvieworchids.com.

Greengrowers: Hwei Hsieh’s greenhouses on March 26, 1:00-3:00 Hwei Hsieh is a local orchid grower west of Atlanta who does his own hybridizing and has produced many Phalaenopsis crosses. He often will have some of the parents and offspring in bloom at the same time which can be interesting to see. He also has a variety of Paphs, Dendrobiums, Cattleyas, Chinese Cymbidiums, and various other plants in his three large greenhouses. Everyone who comes will receive a free Phalaenopsis seedling. Directions are on page 12.

Inside This Issue

Atlanta Orchid Society 2004 Officers…………………………………………..….…………… Page 2 Collector’s Item…….Amesiella monticola Cootes & D.P. Bowles…..……Ron McHatton….. . Page 2 Events Out and About………………Dates for your Calendar…………...……….…….……… Page 3 Minutes of the February Meeting ….…….…….…...……….………….………………...….… Page 3 Minutes of the February Board Meeting and a proposed change to by-laws…………....…….. Page 4 The February Exhibition Table (with notes by Ron McHatton)…….……………..…………... Page 5 Recent Awards from the Atlanta Judging Center……….……………………………………… Page 8 Corybas, The Helmet Orchids………………………………………………………………….. Page 10

All contents © Atlanta Orchid Society unless otherwise noted.

Page 2 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

THE ATLANTA ORCHID SOCIETY COLLECTOR’S ITEM

Officers Amesiella monticola Cootes & D. P. Bowles Aims-ee-EL-ah mon-tih-KO-lah President David Mellard Tribe: Vandeae 3409 Regalwoods Drive Subtribe: Sarcanthinae Doraville, GA 30340 Etymology: Named to honor Mr. Oakes Ames 770-270-5758 [email protected] This genus, named by Dr. Leslie Garay in 1972, is endemic to the Vice-President/Programs Richard Hallberg islands of the Philippines. When originally described, the genus 152 Sloan St. contained a single species, Amesiella philippinensis. Since that Roswell, GA 30075 time, two additional species; Amesiella monticola and A. minor 770-587-5827 have been described. Amesiella monticola has been in cultivation [email protected] for some time but only recently, 1998, been elevated to species Secretary status. Prior to that time this species has been considered an alba Sandy Phillips form of A. philippinensis. 870 Virginia Circle NE Atlanta, GA 30306 404-874-1417 The two species are very similar in appearance and at first glance [email protected] difficult to separate although clearly different when viewed

Treasurer together. Amesiella monticola always has a longer nectary (spur), Reba Herzfeld its flowers are larger and of a pure glistening white color (A. 4798 Summerset Lane philippinensis is often off-white or cream in color). In A. Dunwoody, GA 30338 philippinensis the lateral lobes of the lip are rounded while those of 770-394-3731 [email protected] A. monticola are straight, a characteristic best seen if the lips are flattened. The plants of A. monticola are generally larger and Immediate Past President heavier in all proportions and while larger flowered, A. monticola Evan Dessasau III 404-241-4819 bears fewer flowers much more widely spaced on a longer [email protected] inflorescence. Lastly, the lip of A. philippinensis always has a

Directors (year term expires) prominent yellow blotch while that of A. monticola is either pure white or bears a small light yellow spot on either side of the Mark Reinke (2005) 864-718-0152 midlobe base. A pure white clone is pictured below. The clone [email protected] exhibited by Danny Lentz and Dianne Morgan illustrates the Jeff Whitfield (2005) spotted lip color form. Examine the photograph from the exhibition 706-675-3583 table (page 6) and two pale yellow spots are clearly visible at the [email protected] base of the lip. A. philippinensis is pictured on page 12. To-be-filled (2006)

Fred Missbach (2006) 404-237-1694 [email protected] Mikie Emerson (2007) 404-289-3684 [email protected] Danny Lentz (2007) 770-640-0112 [email protected]

Other Volunteers Newsletter Editor/Greengrowers Danny Lentz

Webmaster Tom Kaschak [email protected]

Librarians Mikie Emerson and Karen Chandler Photo © Randy Young

Page 3 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

Events Out and About MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY MEETING March The meeting was called to order by President David Wednesday to Sunday, 3/2 to 3/6. Mellard. The minutes were approved as written. The Southeastern Flower Show, Georgia World Southeastern Flower Show will be held the first week of Congress Center. Plant removal is Sunday March. Set up is Feb. 28. Entry deadline is Feb 14. If you between 6:30 and 7:30. enter a plant, you get a free entry pass. Exhibitor’s guide is available from Danny Lentz. Participants, please hand out Friday to Sunday, 3/4-3/6. Miami Int’l business cards with information about the ATLOS, which Orchid Show. www.sforchid.com will be located at the show. Dues for 2005 are due.

Saturday, 3/12. American Orchid Society Please remit to Reba Herzfeld in the amount of $30, single monthly judging, Atlanta Center, 2 pm, or $45, household. During the December ATLOS ABG basement workshop. If entering meeting, a projector was used. The instructions were plants, please arrive before 1:30 pm. misplaced. If you locate instructions, please give to David Mellard. Peach State Orchids will hold the IPA meeting Monday, 3/14. Atlanta Orchid Society Sat, Feb. 19th, 2005. Speakers will be Tom Harper and Bill monthly meeting, ABG, Day Hall, 8 p.m. Ellenberg. Progress Growers, located in Canton, is once Speaker: Kurt Studier from Greenville, S.C. again selling to public. Get together with others for large will speak on growing Masdevallias. orders (i.e. 1000 pots, which is much cheaper). Board members will be meeting on Feb. 27 to discuss the budget. Thur. 3/17-Sat. 3/19 Carter & Holmes Please send suggestions for books, which we purchase Spring Open House & Sale, Newberry, SC. each year, to Mikie Emerson. Green Growers will be held on March 26 in Winston (near Douglasville) at the Saturday, 3/26 Greengrowers at the greenhouses of Hwei Hsieh. Hwei specializes in greenhouses of Hwei Hsei. See page 12. Phalaenopsis hybridizing. David Mellard has

April membership forms for the Orchid Digest, targeting intermediate and advanced growers. If you subscribe, David Saturday, 4/2. Heart of Dixie Orchid Show has a free copy of the December 2004, issue focusing on in Madison (near Huntsville), Alabama. Cattleyas. Volunteers are needed to help David Mellard Contact: Josie Asquith, 256-881-2571. with setting up (one day) or taking down (one day) AtOS orchid exhibits at orchid shows in other cities (e.g., the Saturday, 4/9. American Orchid Society NEAOS show in Anniston). The society will reimburse monthly judging, Atlanta Center, 2 pm, someone up to $200 should they put in an exhibit at an out ABG. of town show. Please coordinate with David. David Monday, 4/11. Atlanta Orchid Society Mellard will be speaking at the Atlanta Historical Center to monthly meeting, ABG, Day Hall, 8 p.m. the Georgia Perennial Society on Thursday. A folder Speaker: TDB containing orchid catalogues sent to the society will be placed on a table at each meeting. Mark Reinke gave a Saturday, 4/16. Orchid show in West very informative talk on the culture of Broughtonia Knoxville, TN at the West Town Mall. Sanguinea and hybrids. Welcome new members for Contact: Ches Lyon, 865-573-0704. 2005: Barry Drake, David (dah-veed) Fowler, Rita Goldstein, Gary Langlin, John O’Connell, Pam Sanchez, Saturday, 4/16. Greengrowers at the house Kurt Studier, James VanHorne, Bill White. Thanks to of Gary Collier and Mark Reinke in South all who donated plants for the raffle table: Mikie Emerson, Carolina. Rob Rinn, Helen Weil, and others. Thanks to those who brought refreshments: Cathy Caine, Barbara Dampog, Saturday, 4/23. Orchid show in Mobile, Marianne Gilmore, Reba Herzfeld, Sandy Phillips, Genie Alabama, sponsored by the Mobile Area Smith, Helen Weil and others. Thanks to the orchid judges: Orchid Society. Contact Joseph Paine, 251- Evan Dessasau, Kris Hansen, Terri Hansen, and Roy 666-6505. Harrow. Saturday, 4/30. Orchid show in Nashville, TN, sponsored by the Orchid Society of Respectfully submitted, Sandy Phillips Middle Tennessee. Contact: Tom Harper, 615-771-2755. Page 4 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

Minutes of the February 27 Notice of Proposed Change to By-Laws Board Meeting The Board of Trustees of the Atlanta Orchid Society The treasurer discussed the society’s finances. has proposed a change to the society by-laws. The Board approved a motion to consolidate the society’s financial accounts at one institution, The change is to the second paragraph of Article IV – Wachovia, to make it easier for the Treasurer to Meetings. conduct society business. The Treasurer will begin sending monthly financial reports to all Current text: Regular meetings of the Board of members of the Board of Trustees. Trustees shall be held at least quarterly, and shall be The Board discussed and approved a budget for called by the president. Special meetings of the 2005. Copies of the budget will be available at Board of Trustees may be called by any member of the March meeting of the society, and upon the Board with written or verbal notice made to the request from the treasurer. As part of the entire board. budget the Board approved donating a microscope to the school supported by Proposed new text: Meetings of the Board of Ecuagenera at a cost of $170. Trustees shall be held at least three times per year,

The Board discussed purchasing an LCD and shall be called by the president. Special projector for the society. Richard Hallberg and meetings of the Board of Trustees may be called by Danny Lentz will research the appropriate any member of the Board with written or verbal requirements and cost of this purchase and notice made to the entire board. report back to the Board.

Mark Reinke will be responsible for putting This proposal will be discussed at the society’s together a packet for new members and coming March meeting and voted on at the April meeting. up with other ideas to help attract and retain new members. If you are interested in helping with this area please contact Mark. Join the Atlanta Orchid Society

Danny Lentz will look into procuring a plant Membership in the Atlanta Orchid Society is $30 for individuals or $45 for couples. Yearly membership runs January 1- each month for a silent auction at the society December 31. If you join after September your membership will meeting. include the following year. You can join at one of our monthly The Board discussed and clarified guidelines meetings, or contact the society’s Treasurer (see page 2) for a membership application. for reimbursement of speakers. For directions to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, please visit their Dick Ackerman has resigned from the board. web site at www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org or contact one of The Board voted to allow the president to pick our society’s officers listed on page 2. someone to fill out the remainder of Dick’s term.

The annual society auction was discussed. A Newsletter Submissions date of June 12 was chosen. To submit material for the newsletter, or to sign up for the email version of the newsletter, please contact Danny Lentz. The The society will send out membership renewal deadline for submissions is the 20th of the previous month. notices beginning with the 2006 dues cycle. MAIL TO: Danny Lentz The board approved a motion to change the by- 1045 Wordsworth Dr. laws to reduce the minimum number of board Roswell, GA 30075 EMAIL: [email protected] meetings from quarterly to 3 per year. Notice of the proposed change can be found in this Advertising newsletter. Advertising is now being accepted for our newsletter. The size and number of ads may be limited at the discretion of the editor. The next board meeting will be 2:00 on June 26 Advertising Rates per issue are: ¼ page $10, ½ page $20, full at the house of Reba & Bennett Herzfeld. page $40.

Page 5 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

FEBRUARY 2005 EXHIBITION TABLE AWARDS with notes by Ron McHatton

CLASS 1: CATTLEYA ALLIANCE Blue Lc. (Lc. Trick or Treat x C. quadricolor) Collier/Reinke Red Slc. Pink Doll Dampog White Lc. Gold Digger ‘Orchidglade’ HCC/AOS Collier/Reinke

(Blue) Lc. Trick or Treat x C. quadricolor : The Kew Monocot Project lists C. quadricolor as a synonym of C. candida (as is C. chocoensis another synonym of C. quadricolor). I mention this because when this cross is registered it will likely be under the name C. candida. I’ve checked and none of the possible combinations has been named. Regardless of the nomenclature, this is a great cross! Lc. Trick or Treat Lc. Trick or Treat x C. quadricolor has in it’s background L. harpohylla, L. cinnabarina, L. flava, and C. aurantica. Clones of this hybrid produce inflorescences with as many as 20 decent sized flowers of a bright orange color. Unfortunately, the pinched lip characteristic of two of the ancestral Laelia species comes through as well as the open form. C. quadricolor carries 2 or three flowers of rather thin substance and usually a pale lilac color. One might think that hybridizing the two would result in “unusual art shades” (that’s the polite term for muddy flowers), but that’s not the case. The purple pigments from C. quadricolor are completely suppressed, resulting in a fuller, larger, heavy- substanced flower, albeit fewer of them, of a terrific glowing orange. Hang on to this one!

rd Correction: In January the 3 place ribbon for Class 1 – Hybrids was Sl. Pole Star brought in by Margo Brinto & Eldon Park.

CLASS 2: CYMBIDIUM Blue Cymbidium Showgirl ‘Shaffer’ Rinn Red Cymbidium Lamplighter ‘Aladdin’ Rinn White Cymbidium Voodoo ‘Halloween’ Rinn

(Blue) Cymbidium Showgirl ‘Shaffer’ : Very few of the Cymbidium Showgirl seedlings were ever produced and fewer of them were cloned. Unfortunately with these old hybrids it’s almost impossible to tell if they are correctly named but in this case, the flower color and shape are consistent with Cymbidium Showgirl. Regardless of name, these old miniature Cymbidium crosses are great. They take up less growing space and are generally much easier to flower in a warm climate than standard breeding lines. We can even Cym. Showgirl ‘Shaffer’ get these plants to flower here in Central Florida even though we typically don’t see nights below 60F until sometime in November.

CLASS 3: DENDROBIUM

Blue Dendrobium Kuniko Brinton/Park Red Dendrobium Spring Dream ‘Kumiko’ Brannon White Dendrobium Gold Star ‘Orange Royal’ Rinn

(Blue) Dendrobium Kuniko : This is an intersectional hybrid of D. goldschmidtianum (syn. miyakei) Section Pedilonum and D. victoriae-reginae Section Calcarifera. These two sections are undoubtedly very closely related and many taxonomists consider them a broadly defined Section Pedilonum. The beauty of this hybrid is the profuse production of brightly colored flowers on easily grown plants. D. victoriae-reginae has the reputation of being difficult to grow well under all but cool conditions and the introduction of D. Den. Kuniko goldschmidtianum imparts a great deal of warmth tolerance. It’s just unfortunate that the blue color of the former parent is completely recessive; all clones of this hybrid are various shades of purple. Page 6 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

CLASS 4: EPIDENDRUM Blue Epc. Yucatan ‘Richella’ Collier/Reinke Red Oerstedella centropetala Mellard/Marino White Epc. René Marqués ‘Flame Thrower’ HCC/AOS Lentz/Morgan

(Blue) Epc. Yucatan ‘Richella’ : This cross was registered in 1969 by the prolific Hawaiian hybridizer Goodale Moir. Moir spent most of his life making unusual intergeneric crosses that have given later hybridizers a much better understanding of the genetic relationships between genera. This cross has in its background the plants we now know as Encyclia cordigera, Encyclia alata and C. bowringiana. The encyclias essentially dominate the cross as they usually do in any breeding lines involving them. Plant form, flower shape and structure of the inflorescence are all Encyclia-like. Typically, the pseudobulbs are more elongate than those of Encyclia, an influence brought to the hybrid by the Cattleya parent. Epc. Yucatan ‘Richella’

CLASS 5: ONCIDIUM ALLIANCE Blue Brassia Rex ‘Sakata’ AM/AOS Rinn Red Odcdm. Tiger Barb ‘Plenty’ Rinn White Brassia (Memoria Fritz Boedeker x longissima) Rinn

(Blue) Brassia Rex ‘Sakata’, AM/AOS : What a wonderful presentation of flowers! When this clone received its AM, the plant presented for judging carried 67 flowers and buds on 5 inflorescences! Brassias flower best when they are allowed to grow undisturbed and are great candidates for basket culture. Small divisions or recently disturbed plants will flower but the flowers will usually be much smaller than normal and the flower count may be reduced. It’s not uncommon to see flower size double Brassia Rex ‘Sakata’ from one year to the next as divisions become established. As a general rule, Brassia Rex requires rather bright conditions and flowers best when given light levels somewhat higher than those of Cattleyas.

CLASS 6: CYPRIPEDIUM ALLIANCE Blue Paph. micranthum Lentz/Morgan Red Paph. Hsinying Majakun Lentz/Morgan White Paph. Double Deception Mellard/Marino Blue Phrag. caudatum Lentz/Morgan Red Phrag. schlimii Mellard/Marino White Phrag. Noirmont Walkosky

(Blue) Paphiopedilum micranthum : This is a very pretty specimen. While the petals do not appear to be as full as many clones, the distinct pink picotee is rather nice. It’s difficult to tell from a photograph but this appears to be a rather lightly colored specimen. This species exhibits tremendous variability in form and color. In addition to pure albinistic and albescent clones, there are those that Paph. micranthum completely lack the chartreuse overlay resulting in a more yellow base color. The pink overlay on many clones is quite dark and extends over the entire petal surface, dorsal sepal and much of the pouch. The species is found in nature (what remains of it at least) in the karst limestone hills of southeastern Yunnan, northern and western Guangxi and southwestern Guizhou in China. Typically the plants are found in deep shade on more or less north facing slopes at elevations between 1025 and 1225 meters (3000 –4000 feet). While found growing only on limestone, the pH of the actual soil in which the plants grow is essentially neutral, an almost universal phenomenon in Paphiopedilum species found on limestone. Phrag. caudatum (Blue) Phragmipedium caudatum : I believe that this is actually Phragmipedium wallisii rather than Phrag. caudatum. The two species are both from Ecuador and very similar in appearance. The most characteristic difference between the two involves the way in which the rim of the pouch flares. In Phrag. caudatum, the side edges of the pouch are either vertical or slightly flared out while the front rim of the pouch turns inward. In Phrag. wallisii, the pouch rim consistently flares outward around the entire rim. The close-up photo clearly depicts a pouch who’s rim flares Page 7 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

outward around the entire circumference. This is another case of two very closely related species that are hard to tell apart unless you have the two side by side, or at least photos of the two, and then it’s obvious.

CLASS 7: PHALAENOPSIS ALLIANCE Blue Dtps. Black Butterfly Rinn Red Phal. amabilis Brannon White Phal. Brother Excelsior ‘OK’ AM/AOS Brinton/Park

(Blue) Dtps. Black Butterfly : This cross, registered in 1998 by Orchis Floriculturing in Taiwan, is Phal. Golden Peoker x Dtps. Taisuco Sweet. While it’s impossible to tell from the registration records if one of the harlequin Golden Peokers was used, it’s obvious from the results. Dtps. Taisuco Sweet is a complex hybrid involving mostly rich pinks although there is a dose of yellow in its distant background. Using the white base color harlequin Golden Peoker results in a white Dtps. Black Butterfly base color flower (showing through at the tips of the petals) overlaid with dark pigmentation. The color of this clone is very close to that described for the only awarded clone of this grex to date and the form of this flower is quite good (many examples of this sort of breeding are, while darkly colored, of poor form with reflexed or curled sepals and petals).

CLASS 8: VANDACEOUS ALLIANCE Blue Amesiella monticola Lentz/Morgan

(Blue) Amesiella monticola : See this month’s Collector’s Item.

CLASS 9: MISCELLANEOUS OTHER GENERA Blue Stelis sp. Lentz/Morgan Red Pterostylis curta Mellard/Marino White Trichopilia suavis Brinton/Park

(Blue) Stelis species : Unfortunately there are over 500 species in this genus and the genus is rife with synonyms. Couple that with the fact that many of the species look superficially similar and you have a situation only a taxonomist can unravel. Amesiella monticola

New web site location for RHS Orchid Registrar

The RHS has made some changes to their web site. This includes a change to the locations of the pages dealing with orchids. There is actually a route through their web pages now that is easy to remember. You can start at www.rhs.org.uk/orchids. On this page there is a link that refers to registering orchid names. That link will take you to the page you really need, http://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/registration_orchids.asp, the main page for the orchid registration area of the web site. From here you can get to the new pages for Grex search, Parentage Search, and the lists of newly registered hybrids. The old pages still exist at the moment, but they probably won’t stay there forever.

The most frustrating search I’ve tried recently was verifying the name of Epc. Rene Marques. After several failed attempts to look it up from the Grex Search page, I finally went to the Parentage Search page and entered Stelis sp. in the parents of the cross. It came back with the correctly formatted name, Epicattleya René Marqués.

Visit the 2005 Southeastern Flower Show, March 2-6

Hours are 10-9 Wed.-Fri., 9-9 Sat., 9-6 Sun. at the Georgia World Congress Center Page 8 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

RECENT ACTIVITIES OF THE ATLANTA

JUDGING CENTER

The following awards were granted at the January session of the AOS Atlanta Judging Center. They are provisional awards pending official publication in the Awards Quarterly. Certificates of Horticultural Merit and Certificates of Botanical Recognition are also provisional pending identification by an AOS certified taxonomist prior to publication of the award.

Photo © Judy Cook Vanda Carol Holdren ‘Crownfox’ HCC 79 pts. ( Fuchs Cherry Chips x Madame Rattana) Natural Spread: 12.0cm H x 13.0cm V Ten flowers on one cut inflorescence; dorsal sepal and petals vibrant amethyst with intense dark purple raised tessellations; lateral sepals rich amethyst; lip plum purple apically with prominent longitudinal ridges, side lobes light cream with light purple venation; column light cream flushed amethyst; anther cap cream; substance heavy; texture satiny. Exhibitor: r f Orchids

Photo © Judy Cook

Lycaste skinneri var. alba ‘Palmetto Gem’ AM/81 pts. Natural Spread: 13.5cm H x 11.4cm V Two flowers and one bud attractively presented on three inflorescences; sepals and petals white; lip cream, callus pale yellow; substance firm; texture sparkling. Exhibitor: Fred Missbach

JOIN THE AMERICAN ORCHID SOCIETY

For $46.50/year, you reap the following benefits:

• 12 issues of Orchids, the Society’s monthly full color Photo © Danny Lentz magazine chock full of insightful articles and tempting ads for plants and supplies.

• 10% off on purchases from the Society’s Bookstore Ascocenda Copper Pure ‘Michael’ and Orchid Emporium. Reduced or free admission to AM 86 pts. ( Ascda. Fuchs Gold x V. Gordon Dillon ) participating botanical gardens. Natural Spread: 10.7cm H x 11.0cm V Twelve flowers pleasingly arranged on one cut For a limited time, if you join for two years ($84) you will inflorescence; sepals and petals moss green with gold also get a $30 gift certificate (good on an order of $100 or overtones, stippled and striated maroon; lip moss green more) at any one of 13 commercial growers who advertise overlaid deep maroon; column chartreuse; substance rigid; in Orchids. JOIN TODAY. For information, contact texture matte. Evan Dessasau (404-241-4819) Exhibitor: r f Orchids Page 9 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

Paphiopedilum (Jolly Green Gem x Green Mystery) ‘Doreen Drake’ HCC 79 pts. Natural Spread: 13.4cm H x 12.0cm V One flower on one 15-cm inflorescence; dorsal sepal eggshell white, chartreuse basally with darker citron venation; synsepal, petals and pouch chartreuse with light

citron venation; staminode chartreuse; substance firm; Photo © Danny Lentz texture glossy. Exhibitor: Mountain View Orchids Phragmipedium China Dragon ‘Carol’ AM 85 pts. ( Grande x besseae ) Natural Spread: 6.5cm H x 21.0cm V Two flowers and one bud on one inflorescence; dorsal sepal cream with irregular ruby red stripes, reflexed medially; synsepal cream faintly flushed red; petals cream overlaid rich ruby red with creamy yellow midline basally; pouch dark ruby red, creamy yellow with ruby red spots internally; staminode cream with ruby red hairs marginally; substance firm; texture matte. Exhibitor: H. P. Norton

Some Good Ideas for a Road Trip

Carter and Holmes Spring Open House and Sale, March 17-19, Newberry, SC. This is a great time to Photo © Judy Cook visit C&H, everything is on sale and they’ll even Paphiopedilum haynaldianum ‘Stones River’ provide lunch if you contact them in advance. You AM 80 pts. can spend hours browsing through their greenhouses. Natural Spread: 19.0cm H x 11.2cm V www.carterandholmes.com Four large flowers of good form and one bud well- presented on one 107-cm arched inflorescence, plus one Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, April 25-May 1, immature inflorescence; dorsal sepal green, white with Gatlinburg, TN. See some native orchids and many mauve stripes centrally, spotted chocolate basally, apex other plants in the Great Smoky Mountains National white; synsepal light green with darker green stripes Park. http://www.springwildflowerpilgrimage.org centrally, purple stripes marginally; petals light green, spotted chocolate basally, apical half mauve intensifying to Redland International Orchid Festival, May 13-15, purply marginally; pouch chartreuse overlaid mauve; Homestead, FL. 56 vendors from around the world. staminode bright green; substance firm; texture of sepals http://www.redlandorchidfestival.org/ and petals satiny, pouch waxy. Exhibitor: Stones River Orchids Page 10 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

Corybas, the Helmet Orchids

Corybas is a genus of about 100 species that is distributed from India to Australia. Australia has 15- 20 species that all have a similar form, being dominated by the dorsal sepal and lip with the other segments being quite small. Corybas species found in other countries can vary quite a bit, with many of the New Zealand species nicknamed “Spider Orchids” for their extended sepals and petals. One species, Corybas diemenus, grows on Macquarie Island 1500km SSE of Tasmania at 54°S latitude and may be the southernmost orchid in the world. As with many genera of orchids growing in Australia, David Jones has chopped Corybas up into about five new genera. Information about the new genera is not

The name Corybas refers to Corybants, priests of the nature goddess Cybele in ancient Phrygia who were Corybas sp. apparently famous for their wild celebrations. Whether this name has anything to do with the flowers is not certain. According to Jones the genus Reiner Richter of Victoria, Australia found these was going to be published as Corysanthes (meaning a plants flowering last August in the Sherbrooke Forest helmet shaped flower) by Robert Brown but he took area of the Dandenong Ranges National Park near several years to get it written up. In the meantime, Melbourne. They grew on both Soft Treefern and Richard Salisbury saw an illustration that was other moss-covered trees. The plants pictured appear prepared for Brown and decided to publish his own to be from the group described as Corybas sp. aff. name first in 1807. Brown later published the genus dilatatus (Mountains) in Bishop’s field guide. Corysanthes but at that point it just became a synonym. These botanical spats were occurring long before the more recent incidents with Paph. tigrinum and Phrag. kovachii.

These are small plants that grow from tuberoids. They have a single rounded leaf, and a single flower that is not more than 3cm high in the Australian species. The plants are deciduous and stay dormant during the dry summer. Most species grow terrestrially in moist, shady, sheltered locations, although some species will grow on mossy logs and tree trunks, especially Soft Treefern (Dicksonia antarctica). Many species of Corybas are colony- formers that will produce new tuberoids at the end of their roots.

The flower is completely dominated by the dorsal sepal and lip. The column is completely enclosed by the tubular base of the lip and the hooded dorsal ©2004 Reiner Richter sepal. The other segments are reduced to small thin Corybas sp. appendages. After the flower is pollinated the peduncle (the stalk supporting the flower) in many (Continued on next page) species will become elongated, sometimes up to 30cm, presumably to help with seed dispersal. Page 11 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

The colony-forming species can be cultivated in a terrestrial mix. They need constant high humidity to flower, and may need to be covered with a plastic container to maintain humid enough conditions.

Native Orchids of Australia by David L. Jones, 1988 Spiranthes is a widespread genus of about 40 species that has plants on several continents, including some species Field Guide to the Orchids of New South Wales and here in Georgia. There is one species occurring in Victoria by Tony Bishop, 2000 Australia, Spiranthes australis. This is a deciduous

Posts on the alt.binaries.pictures.orchids Usenet terrestrial that grows from a fleshy root system, not a Newsgroup and personal communications by: tuber. The plants have up to 10 leaves 15cm long x 1cm Reiner Richter ( http://orchids.rnr.id.au ) wide, and up to 60 flowers approximately 6mm wide on a flower spike generally up to 50cm. Reiner Richter measured the pictured spike at 34cm high, and has seen Please visit our web site at them as high as 66cm. The flowers are pollinated by http://www.atlantaorchidsociety.org small bees, and some plants are self-pollinating. They like to grow in wet areas of open forest or grassland. The Atlanta Orchid Society web site contains recent newsletters and articles, cultural information for growing orchids in Atlanta, as well as a calendar of events and information about our annual shows.

JOIN THE ORCHID DIGEST CORPORATION

Don’t let the name fool you, the Orchid Digest is a non- profit membership-based organization dedicated to orchids. Designed to appeal to the mid-range to advanced grower nothing beats the Orchid Digest. For just $32/year you get 4 issues of full-color, in-depth articles about orchids. The magazine is large format and the fourth issue of the year is always an extra-special ©2004 Reiner Richter issue devoted to a single genus.

For membership application forms contact Fred Missbach (404-237-1694) Page 12 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

Orchid Collection For Sale March Greengrowers

When: Saturday March 26, 1:00-3:00 After more than 30 years of keeping Where: Hwei Hsieh orchids, age and health dictate that I end 7362 Shell Rd, Winston, GA 30187 my involvement. I am putting my orchid Directions: collection up for sale. The collection consists of 22 Phalaenopsis (almost all in • Take I-20 West approximately 20 miles outside the perimeter to Exit 30, Post Rd. bloom or spike), 24 Dendrobium, 17 Cattleya, 2 Oncidium, and 1 Rhynchostylis • Turn Left on Post Rd and go just over 7 miles to (in bloom) along with some miscellaneous GA-166 (there will be a stop sign).

potting supplies. The price for the • Turn Right on GA-166 and go 1 mile to Shell Rd. collection is $150.00. Shelves used for Shell Rd. angles off to the left, and the sign is at winter housing and an 8' x 8' x 7' high an angle, so be on the lookout for it.

lattice shade room are also available. • Turn Left on Shell Rd. and go about 0.8 miles.

Orchids can be viewed at my residence in • 7362 will be on the left, a gravel drive with a gate. Acworth by appointment. Go up the drive until you see the greenhouses.

Chuck Clarke If you get lost, you can call Hwei on his cell phone at 404 406-0882. Call (770) 529-7144 for questions or I’d like to get some idea of how many people are appointments. E mail address is going to attend. If you think you might go drop me a [email protected]. note at [email protected] or 770-640-0112. Thanks, danny

This is what one of Hwei’s greenhouses looked like on March 18, 2004. Greengrowers will be at Gary Collier & Mark Reinke’s house on April 16 starting at noon. You can see how they raise orchids from seed, and every guest will receive a free Cattleya-alliance seedling. Their 54 acre property just over the border in South Carolina (about 120 miles from Atlanta) adjoins a National Forest area Amesiella philippinensis and is bordered by two streams. There should be many Photo © Danny Lentz wildflowers, trees and shrubs in bloom so bring some good walking shoes and take a stroll along their woodland trail. Page 13 www.atlantaorchidsociety.org March 2005

The theme of this year’s Pacific Orchid Exposition in San Francisco was “Orchid Reflections”. When the Show Committee of the Diablo View Orchid Society got together to plan their display, someone mentioned Phrag. kovachii and the idea was hatched for an amusing and educational take on the show theme. DVOS : (www.diabloviewos.org) POE : (www.orchidsanfranciso.com/poe)