SOUTHERN ONTARIO ORCHID SOCIETY NEWS February 2017, Volume 52, Issue 2 Meeting since 1965

Next Meeting Sunday, January 29, Floral Hall of the Toronto Botanical Garden,

Cultural snapshots on the stage at 12:15 pm. The topic Grooming Your Plants will be presented by Alexsi Antanaitis Member and Vendor sales noon to 1pm

Program at 1 pm ; This is our annual pre-show meeting where we give you advice on how to enter your plants into competition. Terry Kennedy and Jay Norris will tell us how to prepare our plants for the upcoming SOOS Annual AOS judged orchid show that will take place here at the Toronto Botanical Gardens Saturday and Sunday, February 11 and 12. Show setup is Friday, February 10. Terry is in charge of judging the show and has a wealth of experience entering plants and exhibits. Jay looks after clerks for the show.

Member plant table review. Show your plants, win points. 1.

Raffle

Don’t Forget to renew your membership for 2017

Plant table Awards 2016

Grower of the year Saleem Baksh photo pp Most Ribbons Won Jocelyn Webber photo pp

President’s Remarks Welcome Orchid The program for the next few meetings will be as follows:

Lovers. Is our weather ever unpredictable! One January 29th Terry Kennedy and Jay Norris Topic: minute we have snow then ice then freezing rain then Getting plants ready for the show mild temperatures but our orchids are very dependable. March 12th Terry Kennedy Topic: Dendrobiums If we treat them nicely and water them then they will April 2nd Inge Poot Topic: Brassia reward us with wonderful flowers. Right? May 14th Round table Topic: to be announced. If you would like to see a specific topic covered at one of our th Please remember, our next meeting is January 29 . round tables, please let me know. There will be no meeting in February, since that is when June 4th Leslie Ee Topic: TBA our own show takes place.

As many of you know, for as long as I can remember, we Happy Orchiding, have had plenty of tea and coffee ready before the Laura Liebgott meetings begin. This is all due to the early arrival, Questions or comments: Please contact diligent work and thoughtfulness of our own Joe O'Regan. Joe has always been there for us through all me at: kinds of weather. Joe is also responsible for calling out [email protected] or 905 883 5290 the numbers at our raffle. Thank you so very much, Joe. The last of our early membership draws took place at Plant of the Month for January 8, 2017 our last meeting. The winner was J. Kieswatter. Congratulations. Congratulations also to all the other lucky membership draw winners and to our 2016 plant table and show ribbon winners Saleem Baksh and Jocelyn Webber,

Our show is at the beginning of the Spring shows. Don will be crafting our display. He will be ready to accept plants at noon on Friday February 10th. Please be mindful that it takes a good 5 to 6 hours to put together a display. Therefore, the earlier the better after 12:00 noon. This will give Don ample time to create his masterpiece. It would also be very helpful to Don if you could register your plant at the same time, as well. There are members around who can help you through this process. Wilson Ng brought in his prolifically flowered

Dendrobium Purple Cluster ‘Wilson’s Choice’ AM/AOS If you have not placed your name on the volunteer list, and CCM/AOS both with 81 points that had gotten please see Marion Currie or Sue Loftus, at the next awarded the day before at the meeting of the Toronto meeting. There are many positions requiring filling. Judging Centre. No wonder he walked off with the top Many hands help in lightening the task. The best part, honours! Congratulations Wilson! He grows it in Eric there is a treat in it for you since admission to the show Lee’s mix of cork bark chunks, chopped sphagnum then becomes free. moss, Hydroton (ceramic clay pellets), hard peat moss

chunks and hazelnut shell pieces. Since he has not Once our show is over, the following shows come fast enough room at home for all his giant plants, he keeps a and furiously: lot of them, including this plant, over the winter in Eric RBG Show: February 25 — 26 Don will be doing the Lee’s greenhouse and in a shade house at his home display. over the summer. The plant is obviously very happy! London Show: March 18—19 I will be doing the display Montreal Show: March 25—26 I will be doing the display Ottawa Show: April 22—23 I will be doing this display TAOA Show: April 29—30 Once again, Don will be Coming Events 2017 working on this display. Please be generous with your .January precious little ones as it is the only way we can create 21, Monthly Montreal AOS judging, Jardin botanique de the vast variety of displays. Montreal 29, SOOS meeting, Toronto Botanical Garden, sales The treats for the January meeting fall to the members 12 noon, program 1 pm with the last names begin with C through to D. The treats for the January meeting were very good and thanks to Tara, our last speaker, we had some delicious February tasting vanilla cookies as well. Thanks all. 11-12, SOOS Annual Orchid November 8-12, 22nd World Orchid Show and Sale at TBG., TJC Monthly AOS Judging at show. Conference, Guayaquil, Ecuador 18 , Monthly Montreal AOS judging, Jardin botanique de Montreal. AOS Judging Results 25-26, Orchid Society of the RBG Show, Burlington. Toronto Judging Center, January 7, 2017 Dendrobium Purple Cluster ‘Wilson’s Choice’ AM/AOS March and CCM/AOS both with 81 points, Wilson Ng. 4, TJC Monthly AOS Judging at TBG. Paphiopedilum Cocoa Yard Festival ‘Wilson’s Choice’ 12, SOOS meeting, Toronto Botanical Garden, sales AM/AOS 88points, Wilson Ng. 12 noon, program 1 pm, Floral Hall Paphiopedilum (Tristar Mabo ‘HOF’x Hsinying Web ‘#7’) 18-19, London Orchid Show, London, Ontario. AM/AOS 81 points, Eric Lee. 24-26, Manitoba Orchid Show, Winnipeg. Mormodes ephippilabia ‘Lucia Arrieche d’Empaire’ 24-26, Mid America Congress and show, Omaha CHM/AOS 83 points, Gilberto Arrieche Nebraska. Please note, all of these awards are provisional until 25-26, Orchidexpo and Monthly Montreal AOS judging, published by the American Orchid Society.

April The next judging will be held at our show at the Toronto 31- 2, Genesee Region Show, Rochester, NY. Botanical Gardens, Saturday February 11, 2017. AOS 1, TJC Monthly AOS Judging at TBG. Judging is a service of the American Orchid Society and 2 , SOOS meeting, Toronto Botanical Garden, sales is open to all! Bring us your flowering orchids, 12 noon, program 1 pm, Garden Hall 7-9, Alberta Show and Canadian Orchid Congress, Edmonton, Alberta. 8-9, Quebec show. 22-23, Ottawa Show and, Monthly Montreal AOS Vanilla: Anything But ‘Plain’, by Tara judging. Seucharan, transcribed and rearranged by Inge Poot 29-30, TAOA Show, Toronto, ON. May 1, TJC Monthly AOS Judging at TBG. 14, SOOS meeting, Toronto Botanical Garden, sales 12 noon, program 1 pm, Floral Hall 20, Monthly Montreal AOS judging, Jardin botanique de Montreal. 17-21, AOS Members meeting, Redlands orchid sale, South Florida. June 3, TJC Monthly AOS Judging and business meeting at TBG. 4 ,SOOS meeting, Toronto Botanical Garden, sales 12 noon, program 1 pm, Floral Hall 17, Monthly Montreal AOS judging, Jardin botanique de Montreal July

8, TJC Monthly AOS Judging at TBG. Even though the orchid family is the largest plant family on earth the species Vanilla planifolia is the only orchid 15, Monthly Montreal AOS judging, Jardin botanique de with significant agricultural value. Montreal The genus Vanilla contains more than a hundred August species, with more being discovered and described all the time. For instance Columbia at present boasts 11 6, Orchidfest Floral Hall, Toronto Vanilla species, but two of them were only described in Judging centre judging and talks by 2010. Yet with all these species 95% of the plants Andrea Niessen grown for commercial use are Vanilla planifolia. It is 19, , Monthly Montreal AOS judging, Jardin botanique de actually only the fruits or “beans” of this plant that Montreal develop a vanilla flavour when cured, while the rest of the plant and even the flowers do not. 20 degree band on both sides of the equator, all around the world. It needs it warm and wet. Ice cream is the All Vanilla species grow at temperatures of 21 to 32 most common degrees Celsius and need 250 cm or more of rainfall per product flavoured year. Vanilla planifolia is one of a few species that by the extract of requires an annual dry season. In the dry season in late the cured fruits. winter to early spring watering is reduced, but plants Vanilla ice cream are never allowed to dry out completely. is a 20 billion Light can be full sun to light shade. When moving a dollar market in plant into brighter light, do it gradually to avoid burning. the USA alone. Vanilla planifolia requires shade and is often grown on Also, 90% of ice “tutor” trees or on wooden supports under shade cloth. cream sales to Britons were of In the wild vines can grow to 60 feet or more, but in the vanilla plantations they are kept under three meters. The vines flavour! are considered hemi-epiphytes because they start out The characteristic as terrestrials and later become epiphytic. Once the flavour has as its plant has taken off into a tree canopy it can be cut off at main component Vanillin, but about 500 other chemical the bottom and will just keep on growing. If a plant falls components are responsible for the richness of the over with its support it also can just keep growing and flavour. (Inge’s addition: There are other plants that find another support to climb up on. also produce vanillin on drying such as sweet woodruff, sweet vernal grass and field vetch, but they have other Vanilla planifolia plants take 3-5 years to reach additional components and therefore a different smell flowering size. The flowers are fairly large and green and taste). with yellow in the lip. Pods can grow at the rate of one inch (2.5cm) per day and take one to two months to reach full length and 9 months to reach sufficient maturity for harvesting.

The plants have two types of roots: feeding roots that are found in the soil and they are covered by root hairs that aid the absorption of water and minerals and they are associated with mycorrhizal fungi. The other type, the aerial roots are found all along the length of the vine at the nodes and help attach it to the tree or other support they grow on. They also absorb and hold water and in some species they are green due to chlorophyll and help in photosynthesis. The perfume industry also uses vanillin as a basic fragrance because it blends so well with other The genus Vanilla is one of the few orchid genera that fragrances. The quality required for the finest perfumes are vines. One example of Vanilla insignis in Mexico is and eau de toilettes costs $5000 per kilogram of cured reputed to cover 4000 square meters, which would pods! It is such an important agricultural commodity in probably make it the largest orchid in the world! some countries such as the Dominican Republic that The vines of some species, including V. planifolia grow that country devoted a postage stamp to it. Their 8 cent in a distinctive zig-zag pattern. There are thin-leaved stamp depicts the drying of vanilla pods. and thick-leaved species as well as leaf-less species. In There are two other vanillas other than Vanilla the latter the stems contain enough chlorophyll to take planifolia grown commercially and they are Vanilla x over the entire photosynthesis. Vanilla planifolia is a tahitensis and Vanilla pompona. thin-leaved species. The mucilage of the leaves contains crystals of calcium carbonate and oxalate. They can Vanilla orchids have been grown since the 1600’s. The cause irritation, a problem for workers working with native habitat of the various species of this genus is in a them continuously. They call the resulting rash vanilitis.

There are about 60 species in the New World tropics, tahitensis is another commercially fairly important about 20 species in tropical India, New Guinea and Asia, plant. about 25 in tropical Africa and none in Australia. -Thin-leaved Old World As well as Trinidad and Tobago) -Thick-leaved New World V. planifolia (Mexico, central and South America) the most important species. Vanilla pompona (Mexico to Central Brazil, as well as Trinidad and Tobago) Vanilla phaeantha (SE Mexico, Costa Rica as well as S Florida and many Caribbean Islands) and Vanilla rivasii Flowers can be green, white, yellow or purple (Columbia) are depending on the species. In most species flowers last examples. They all only part of one day. They have to be fertilized between have green starry 4 AM and noon to set fruit. Fertilization is effected by flowers with an euglossine bee species and must be done manually if various amounts the bees are not present. It is not easy to do because of rich yellow on the pollen mass is covered by a rostellum that must be the lips. pushed aside to smear the pollen onto the stigma. The 300 year monopoly on vanilla production by Vanilla claviculata is native to the islands around Cuba. Spain/Mexico was only broken in 1841 when Edmond Albius a 12 year old slave boy figured out how to do it -Thick-leaved Old World quickly manually, by using a bamboo sliver to peel back -Leafless, these species have stems with a cross-section the rostellum and then smear the pollen onto the in the shape of the letter “C” and when it gets too hot stigma with his thumb! Now they could get lots of fruit the stems curl up into an “O” cross section, thereby without the Mexican euglossine bee and could grow it reducing moisture in many tropical areas of the world. loss.

Queen Elisabeth I was addicted to vanilla pudding and Vanilla barbellata was one of the few people able to afford it. The Aztecs (Florida, and south) rulers loved their xocolatl drink as well, which consisted vines are leafless of a mix of cocoa, vanilla, chili and water. Drinking up to and turn almost 50 cups a day was Montezuma’a luxury indulgence! gold in strong sun. Very few other Mexicans could even get a (forbidden) Flowers are green taste of it. That Aztec ruler and his bathroom must have with purple had a close relationship.... markings on the edge on the white The 100+ species are roughly classified as: lip. The lip forms a -Thin-leaved and New World, eg V. inodora (Florida, tube by clasping Mexico, South the column. America) Vanilla dilloniana The hybrid of the (Florida and two similar species south) has thick V, planifolia and V. stems with tiny odorata, Vanilla x bract-like fleshy leaves. The flowers are large, starry, light green sepals and petals and a white tubular lip that has a flared purple margin.

Vanilla madagascariensis is a leafless vine that turns orange in bright sun and produces beautiful full, flat white flowers. The interior of the tubular lip is red.

Vanilla imperialis (Africa-Ethiopia) is an impressively flowered species with large, flat, star-shaped light green flowers that have a mostly magenta-red, showy lip.

Vanilla aphylla (Bangladesh to Laos to Thailand to Malaysa to Jawa) is a widely distributed Asian species Tara’s parents grow several Vanilla species in Trinadad with pretty cream to ice green well-shaped flowers that and feel that some of the species might introduce useful have rose speckling in the tube of the white lip. traits plus greater genetic diversity into commercial crop plants. The thick-leaved robust Vanilla phaeantha Only the New World species produce Vanillin in their which is closely related to Vanilla planifolia is a case in fruits on curing. point. It is tolerant of a wide variety of environmental conditions and could contribute greater tolerance to Commercial Vanilla production: the unstable weather conditions that global warming is Pollination must occur before noon. Highest fruit set is bringing. Its vanillin content is low and this needs to be before 8 a.m. raised by selective line breeding. Not every flower is pollinated, growers ideally aim for Tara showed us a picture of her intrepid mother up an 30-60 fruits on each vine extension ladder busy manually pollinating the lovely Skilled workers (usually women) pollinate up to 1000 flowers of a Vanilla phaeantha always borne only at the flowers/day during the 2 month flowering period top of the vine. The vine was climbing up a lopped off Harvested beans are “killed” by dipping them into hot avocado tree, called a tutor tree, secured by guy wires water. Their colour changes from green to dark brown. in its place, but high enough to turn this viewer’s knees Beans dry in the sun during the day & “sweat” in cloth- to jelly at the mere thought of emulating Mrs lined boxes at night for 6 weeks Seucharan! The fence-post supports used in commercial Additional drying of beans takes place in the shade for 3 Vanilla planifolia plantations are somehow more months appealing.... Beans are stored in airtight boxes to intensify flavour & By working with this species the family found out how aroma for another 3 months to tell if a pollination was successful. If the floral bracts on the flower stem stay green, the pollination worked!

The Seucharans grow V. phaeantha, V. pompona, V. hartii, V. wrightii, V. planifolia, V. planifolia 'Variegata'. There is no commercial vanilla growing in Trinadad, but perhaps this family’s hobby will change this in the future.

Vanilla planifolia cultivars 1. 'Mansa'  main cultivar  widely propagated since the 19th Century 2. 'Variegata'  alternating stripes of yellow & green on leaves

V. planifolia crops are suspectible to Fusarium fungus, V.aphylla is naturally resistant Results of the cross were: 20 plants sprouted 2 leafless plants, lime green in colour 2 leafy plants Rest were albino → died Proved that Old and New World different Vanilla species could be successfully crossed.  Golden Future (planifolia x palmarum)  Tsy Taitra (planifolia x pompona)  Grex A (Tsy Taitra x planifolia)  Manitra Ampotony (planifolia x x tahitensis)

An interesting note: Vanilla, like all orchids is a

CITES protected species. It is on appendix 2.

3. 'Albo Marginata'  leaves of green with a white margin

4. 'Oreja de Burro' (Donkey Ears)  sterile!

Vanilla Hybrids Natural hybrids:  x tahitensis (planifolia x odorata) Parents proven in 2005 by DNA sequencing Both parent plants are New World species Origin is unknown, but it is cultivated on several South Pacific islands Tahitian vanilla contains heliotropin, Tara assured us that it is possible to learn to tell which produces notes of cherry, liquorice, the difference between the different vanillas prunes or red wine in the extract. produced by different countries. She told us It constitutes only a fraction of the world's that we might get labeled as vanilla snobs, but vanilla production and thus is the most assured us that we would learn to be OK with expensive type of vanilla that!  (barbellata x claviculata), Puerto Rico

Man made hybrids:  Hybrid 1 (planifolia x aphylla) The cross was made in India, in 2004 V. planifolia is a thick leaved New World species V. aphylla is a leafless Old World species

To help us unto the road to becoming vanilla snobs, Tara brought us samples of vanilla to sniff and mountains of sugar cookies flavoured with three different types of vanilla to try out!!! Your transcriber could tell the difference by sniffing, but only one type of cookie seemed less flavourful than the other two. I have got to Show Time February 11-12 work on my snob-potential!! Any more cookies The Annual show is our major fund raiser. It allows us to Tara?.... keep our membership fees modest and provide you with quality speakers throughout the year. It also funds our conservation contributions. The show committee meets once a month at the end of most regular monthly meetings from September to March to coordinate the planning and development of the show. If you feel passionate about us having our annual show and have time to contribute, please join us.

Your Show Committee Marion Curry, Terry and Doug Kennedy, Sue Loftus, Jay Norris, Manuela Poli, John Vermeer, Bea Patterson, Jaco Uwland, Max Wilson, Alexsi Antanaitis, Henry Glowka, Robin McLaughlin, Judy Palmer, Tom Shields, Judy Torrie, Inge Poot, Don Wyatt., Bob Dowzansky, Laura Liebgott, Yvonne Schreiber. Peter Poot

PARTICIPATE. Exhibitors and vendors have been signing up, but we can still accommodate a few more. Members are invited, encouraged, urged to exhibit their flowering plants in either exhibits of their own or in the SOOS exhibit. Small exhibits are welcome. You can also enter orchid art and photographs. See entry forms in the previous newsletter. We have a non obligatory theme, it is “Elevation”. Your interpretation could win the special theme trophy!! There are also various trophies for plants and plant exhibits as well as art and photo entries. See any of the Show committee members about entering.

There will not be a Members (SOOS operated) sales table at the show this year, however , members wishing to sell plants can join together and rent and operate sales space at the vendor rate of $250 for a five foot table. See Bea Patterson to register Vendor or Exhibit space. Please do so as soon as possible. The later it is, the more difficult it becomes to fit you in.

The following vendors have reserved sales space at our show. You can pre-order from these show supporters, Ravenvision supplies, [email protected] Orchids in our Tropics, [email protected] Hideh Tabatabaia,jewelry, [email protected] John Alexander, photography and art , [email protected] Flora Peculia, tarasmk@hotmail,com Ten Shin Gardens, [email protected] Joseph Di Ciommo, [email protected] Peter Decyk, [email protected] Crystal Star Orchids, [email protected] Anli Sheng, [email protected] Hamilton Greenhouse, [email protected] Orchid greens, [email protected] Ecuagenera, [email protected]

Publicity is essential to bring in the public to our show. You can help by promoting the show to your social media friends and contacts. Contact Manuela Poli with your publicity ideas.

Show Volunteers. There are numerous other jobs for show volunteers, but to be eligible for free show admission you need to register with Marion Curry now. We would love to have more help with the following:

Set up and take down, Thursday evening, Friday and Sunday at show closing;

Admission and show supervision; cloak room and plant hotel, show tour guides, Saturday and Sunday;

Kitchen operations, Friday, Saturday and Sunday;

Clerks for show judging, Saturday morning 7:30 am.

Marion will have her volunteer registration desk available at the next two meetings. Please sign up. Peter Poot Show chair.

.Crystal Star Orchids

broker service with over 15 top orchid nurseries Summer Open House From June to August weekends only From 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. By appointment only Tel: 905-478-8398 or email : [email protected] 20815 2nd Concession Road East Gwillimbury Ontario L9N 0G9

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

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Jan 8 2017 Show Table Ribbons

Class First Second Third Class 1 Brassavola Little Stars Cattleya (Slc.) Mango C. (Slc.) Mango Spice Cattleya Alliance Synea Tan Spice ‘Pumpkin Triplets’ John Vermeer John Vermeer Brassanthe (Bc) Maikai Rhyncholaeliocattleya ‘Mayumi’ (Rlc.) Village Chief Sue Loftus North’Green Genius’ Marion Curry Cattleya (Sophronitis) coccinia Alex Antanaitis Class 2 Paph Tristar Mabo ‘HOF’ Paphiopedilium x Paph Hsinying ‘Web # 7’ Eric Lee Class 3 Vandachostylis Vanda Princess Mikassa Phalaenopis and (Darwinara) Charm Blue Vanda Alliance Michael Leung Alex Antanaitis

Class 6 Dendrobium Purple Cluster Den Stardust Firebird Den No name Dendrobium ‘Wilson’s Choice’ AM/AOS Synea Tan Marion Curry and CCM/AOS Wilson Ng Class 7 Ludisia discolor All Others Joe O’Regan

Class 9 Basket Baskets and Sue Loftus Displays

Membership secretary: Liz Mc Alpine, 189 Soudan Avenue, Toronto, ON M4S 1V5, phone 416-487-7832, renew or join on line at soos.ca/members

Executive: President, Laura Liebgott, 905-883-5290; Vice-President and Treasurer, John Vermeer, 905- 823-2516, ; Secretary, Sue Loftus 905-839-8281; Other Positions of Responsibility: Program, Ann Antanaitis ; Plant Doctor, Doug Kennedy; Meeting Set up, Yvonne Schreiber; Vendor and Sales table coordinator, Diane Ryley; Library Liz Fodi; Web Master, Max Wilson; Newsletter, Peter and Inge Poot; Annual Show, Peter Poot; Refreshments, Joe O’Regan. Conservation Committee, Tom Shields; Show table, Synea Tan, Cultural snapshots, Alexi Antanaitis, Directors at large Marion Curry, Lynda Satchwell and Kevin Hushagen . Honorary Life Members: Terry Kennedy, Doug Kennedy, Inge Poot, Peter Poot, Joe O’Regan, Diane Ryley, Wayne Hingston.

Annual Show: February 11-12, 2017.