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THE BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN ORCHID SOCIETY VOL. 82 NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 2013 ORCHIDS www.aos.org

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  • THE BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN ORCHID SOCIETY VOL. 82 NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 2013

    ORCHIDSwww.aos.org

  • September 2013 Volume 82 Number 9

    FRONT COVER Angraecum stella-africae, the Star of Africa, photographed in situ by Bart Wursten in the Lekgalameetse

    Nature Reserve in the Wolkberg Mountains of South Africa

    In Every Issue

    AOS MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION 514AOS DIRECTORY OF SERVICES 514AOS NATIONAL VOLUNTEERS 516PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE 520QUESTIONS AND ANSwERS 518CALENDAR 568CONTRIBUTIONS 570ORCHID MARKETPLACE 572ORCHIDS CLASSIFIEDS 575AD INDEx 575

    SIDEBARS

    Species and Natural Hybrids of Aerangis 530Brenda Oviatt and Bill Nerison

    An Aerangis Compendium 531A New Book by Isaobyl la Croix

    How to Grow Aerangis distincta 532Brenda Oviatt and Bill Nerison

    The 21st WOC in South Africa 549Johan Hermans

    How to Grow Paraphalaenopsis 552Robert Fuchs

    DEPARTMENTS

    For the Novice 522A Scaly ProblemThe AOS Education Committee

    Toms Monthly Checklist 524September: the month of entropyThomas Mirenda

    Orchid of the Month 526RossioglossumThomas Mirenda

    Collectors Item 528Aerangis distinctaBrenda Oviatt and Bill Nerison

    Nomenclature Notes 560Amoana (Laeliinae), a New Mexican Orchid GenusCarlos Leopardi, Germn Carnevali and Eric Hgsater

    Orchid Evolution 564Part VIII. Floral Polymorphism and SpeciationAlejandro Zuluaga

    Parting Shot 576The Pencil Drawings of Pavel ArltRon McHatton

    528

    CONTENTS

    FEATURES

    534 PAPHIOPEDIUM IN CHINA Part VII: Paphiopedium section Barbata Holger Perner

    544 IN SEARCH OF THE STAR OF AFRICA Angraecum stella-africae Clare and Johan Hermans

    551 PARAPHAlAENOPSIS Bornean Jewels Robert Fuchs

    556 CATTlEyA CRISPA The Sleeping Giant A.A. Chadwick

    The Bulletin of the American Orchid SocietyORCHIDS

    Printed on 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper.

    RON MCHATTONDirector of [email protected]

    JOHN wRENCHAdvertising Manager

    [email protected]

    EDITORIALAmerican Orchid Society

    at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden10901 Old Cutler Road

    Coral Gables, Florida 33156

    ADVERTISINGJohn Wrench

    American Orchid Societyat Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

    10901 Old Cutler RoadCoral Gables, Florida 33156

    Email [email protected]

    SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MISSING ISSUESMembership Services Department

    Tel 305-740-2010 Fax 305-740-2011Email [email protected]

    EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDLarry Barnes, Mark Chase, Raymond Cloyd, Phillip

    Cribb, Calaway Dodson, Alec Pridgeon, Julian Shaw, Yin-Tung Wang, Norris Williams

    FORMER EDITORSDr. David Lumsden (19321940), Dr. Louis O.

    Williams (19401943), Gordon Dillon (19431967; 19701973), Merle Reinikka (19681969),

    Richard Peterson (19731984), Stephen R. Batchelor (1984), Alec Pridgeon, PhD (19841988;

    19891991), Chuck McCartney (19881989), James B. Watson (19912013)

    SUBSCRIBE TO ORCHIDS TEL 305-740-2010 EMAIL [email protected] WEBSITE WWW.AOS.ORG

    Volume 82, Number 9 September 2013 Orchids (ISSN 1087-1950) is published monthly by the American Orchid Society, Inc., at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Editorial Office: 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, Florida 33156 (telephone 305-740-2010; fax 305-740-2011; email [email protected]; website www.aos.org). American Orchid Society, Inc. 2013. Printed by Allen Press, 810 East 10th Street, Lawrence, Kansas 66044. Subscription price of Orchids is $65 a year within the US, $85 Canada and Mexico and $105 for all other countries. Single copies of current issue cost $6.99 (plus shipping and handling). Prices are subject to change without notice. While Orchids endeavors to assure the reliability of its advertising, neither Orchids nor the American Orchid Society, Inc. can assume responsibility for any transactions between our advertisers and our readers. Periodical postage paid at Miami, FL and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: American Orchid Society, Inc., at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156. The American Orchid Society follows the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families with regard to questions of botanical nomenclature and synonymy in orchid species names and the International Orchid Register for hybrid nomenclature and parentage in editorial. The opinions and recommendations that appear in Orchids regarding the selection and use of specific plant-care products, including but not limited to pesticides, fungicides and herbicides, are those of the individual authors, and not those of the American Orchid Society, which neither adopts nor endorses such opinions and recommendations and disclaims all responsibility for them. When selecting and using such products, readers should seek and obtain the advice of the manufacturer and of responsible government agencies. Mail date: August 24, 2013.

    534 544 551

  • 514 Orchids sEptEmbEr 2013 www.AOS.Org

    Membership in the AOS includes a subscription to Orchids magazine that begins with the nextavailable issue at the time of enrollment. For information on membership, please call 305-740-2010, email [email protected] or join online at www.aos.org.

    Payments must be made through a US bank in US funds or by International Money Order. Only MasterCard, American Express and Visa accepted. Prices are subject to change withoutnotice. Orchids is distributed via periodicals-class mail. First-class delivery is available in the USfor an additional $30 per year.

    AmericAn Orchid SOcietyA 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization Founded in 1921

    Membership Information and Rates

    MISSIONThe mission of the American Orchid Society is to promote and support the passion for orchids through education, conservation and research

    VISION STATEMENTThe American Orchid Society provides leadership in orchids

    Membership PolicyMembership in the American Orchid Society is open to all individuals without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. All activities of the American Orchid Society are conducted in accordance with the principles of nondiscrimination and mutual respect. Further, the American Orchid Society does not condone or endorse any conduct that is not in accord with these principles.

    Membership BenefitsOrchids The Bulletin of the American Orchid

    SocietyAOS Orchid Source Directory (growers,

    affiliated societies, judging centers)Members-Only section of www.aos.org

    Discounts at select gardens and arboreta in the United States (see www.ahs.org)10 percent discount on some purchases First-time members receive a free copy of Your

    First Orchid and 15 percent off additional AOS-produced books (plus shipping)

    Orchids Replacement CopiesAny member who does not receive a scheduled issue of Orchids should notify the Membership Services Department (tel 305-740-2010; email [email protected]) within 60 days (US residents) or 90 days (nonUS residents) of date of issue to receive a replacement copy at no charge.

    Getthefreeappforyour

    smartphoneathttp://gettag.mobi

    AmericAn Orchid SOcietyat Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

    10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, Florida 33156Tel 305-740-2010 Fax 305-740-2011

    Email [email protected] Website www.aos.orgMain Office MondayFriday (by appointment only)

    Membership DigitalOnly USDestination CanadaandMexico AllOtherCountries Type (Any Destination) (Digital and Print) (Digital and Print)*** (Digital and Print)***

    Individual,oneyear $65.00 $65.00 $85.00 $105.00 Individual,twoyears $125.00 $125.00 $165.00 $205.00 Joint,oneyear* $80.00 $80.00 $100.00 $120.00 Joint,twoyears* $155.00 $155.00 $195.00 $235.00 Student,oneyear** $40.00 $40.00 $60.00 $80.00 Student,twoyears** $75.00 $75.00 $115.00 $155.00

    * Joint membership is for two individuals residing at the same address and includes only one subscription to the monthly magazine Orchids. ** Student members must be in high school or enrolled at an accredited college or university. Valid student ID required at time of application. *** Additional cost covers priority delivery of the print magazine.

    ServiceSronMcHatton,PhD([email protected])ChiefOperatingOfficer(305-740-2012) AOspolicyinformation Education Nomenclature Orchidinformation OrchidsEditorial publicationsbooks,calendar,Orchid Source Directory

    Accounting([email protected])Alaingonzalez(305-740-2013)

    Advertising([email protected])Johnwrench(305-740-2016) AdvertisingOrchids,Orchid Source Directory,Website

    AdministrationandFinance([email protected])gladysg.greenberg,MBA(305-740-2014) Administration committeeVolunteers Finance

    AffiliatedSocieties([email protected])NayaMarcano(305-740-2010) Liabilityinsurance shows

    AwardsandJudging([email protected])Billwalsh(305-740-2019) calendarofEvents paymentsandcertificates

    Development([email protected])gladysg.greenberg(305-740-2014) AnnualGiving bequests majorGifts plannedGiving

    Membership(305-740-2010)MariaSanJuan([email protected])NayaMarcano([email protected]) AQPlus backissuesOrchids calendarandbooksales changeofAddress damagedandmissingissues membershipbrochuresandbenefits membershipQuestions removeNamefrommailingList Website(technicalandpasswordissues)

    InformationTechnology(305-740-2010)

    Forquestionsnotaddressedabovepleasecontacttheaos@aos.orgorcall305-740-2010

  • Pronunciation guide

    Aerangis(ay-air-ANG-iss)aestivum (eh-STEEV-um)Alamania (al-ah-MAN-ee-ah)alboviride (al-boh-VEER-ih-dee)album (al-BUM)alcicornis (al-see-KOR-niss)Amoana (am-OH-an-ah)angolensis (ang-GOH-len-sis)Angraecum (an-GREY-kum)angustifolium (an-gus-the-FOLL-ee-um)ampliatum (am-PLEE-ay-tum)appendiculata (app-en-DIK-yew-lah-tum) appletonianum (ap-pel-tone-EE-ah-num)arachnopus (ah-RACK-no-pus)articulata (are-TIK-yew-lah-tah) biloba (bye-LOH-ba)Boisduval (Bwa-DUE-val)bouarensis (boo-are-en-sis)boltonii (bohl-TONE-ee-eye)Bonatea (Boh-nah-TEE-ah)brachycarpa (brak-ee-KAR-pah)brevilabium (breh-vee-LAY-bee-um)burmanicum (burr-MAN-eh-kum)Calanthe (kal-AN-thee) callosum (kal-OH-sum)cardiophora (kar-DEE-oh-for-ah)carnea (KAR-nee-ah)Catasetum (kat-ah-SEE-tum)Cattleya (KAT-lee-ah)Chamaeangis (kam-ay-ANG-is)Chamaeanthus (kam-ay-AN-thus)Chirioana (kye-ROE-ah-nah)collum-cygni (KOL-um-SIG-nee)concavipetala (kon-kav-ee-PET-ah-lah) confusa (kon-FUSE-ah) coriacea (kore-ee-AY-cee-ah)coursiana (kour-SEE-ah-nah)crispa (KRIS-pa) cryptodon (kryp-TOE-don)Cymbidium (sim-BID-ee-um)Cypripedium (sip-rih-PEED-ee-um)decaryana (dee-KARE-ee-ah-nah)Dendrobium (den-DROH-bee-um) denevei (den-EV-ee-eye)Devereauxara (dev-ehr-OH-are-ah)Diaphananthe (dye-aff-an-AN-thee)Disa (DEE-zah or DYE-zah)Disperis (DISS-per-iss)Distincta (diss-TINK-tah) divitiflora (dih-vit-EE-ee-flor-ah) dowiana (dow-EE-an-ah) ellisii (el-LISS-ee-eye)Encyclia (en-SIK-lee-ah)ensata (EN-say-tah)epipactidea (ep-ee-PACK-tid-ee-ah)

    Eulophia (yew-LOH-fee-ah) fastuosa (fast-YEW-oh-sah)fuscata (foos-KAH-tah)gracillima (grah-SILL-ih-mah)grande (gran-DAY)gravenreuthii (grah-ven-RUTH-ee-eye) Habenaria (hab-en-AIR-ee-ah)hainanense (HIGH-nan-en-say)hariotiana (hair-ee-OTT-ee-ah-nah)hians (HIGH-ans)hildebrandtii (hill-deh-BRANT-ee-eye)hologlottis (hole-loh-GLOT-tiss)humblotii (hum-BLOT-ee-eye)hyaloides (high-ah-LOY-des)insigne (in-SIG-nee)insleayi (ins-LEE-eye)jacksonii (jack-SON-ee-eye)kienastii (kee-NASS-tee-eye)kirkii (kir-KEE-eye)kotschyana (kah-CHEE-ah-nah)krameri (KRAY-merr-ee or KRAY-merr-eye)labiata (lah-BEE-ah-tah)Laelia (LAY-lee-ah)laycockii (lay-KOCK-ee-eye)labukensis (lah-BOO-ken-sis)longicauda (long-EE-kow-dah)lueddemanniana (lewd-eh-MAN-ee-ah-ah)luteoalba (lew-TEE-oh-AL-bah)macrocentra (mack-roe-SEN-trah)maireae (MY-er-ee)measuresianum (meh-zuhrs-EE-an-um)megaphylla (meg-ah-FILL-ah)microchilum (mye-kro-KYE-lum)Microterangis (mye-kro-tehr-ANG-iss)modesta (moe-DESS-tah) mooreana (MORE-ee-ah-nah)monantha (MOWN-an-thah)montana (MAHN-tan-ah)mossiae (MOSS-ee-eye multifolium (mull-tee-FOLL-ee-um)mystacidii (miss-tah-SID-ee-eye)Neofinetia (nee-oh-FIN-ay-ah or commonly nee-oh-FIN-ett-ee-ah)nervosa (nerr-VOH-sah)Oestlundia (est-LUND-ee-ah)oerstedii (ehr-STED-ee-eye)odontoglossa (oh-don-toe-GLOSS-ah)oligantha (oh-LIG-an-thah)Oncidium (on-SID-ee-um)Oncidiinae (on-SID-ee-ih-nee)ottoniana (awh-TONE-ee-an-ah)pallidiflora (pahl-id-EE-flor-ah) Paphiopedilum (paff-ee-oh-PED-ih-lum)Papilionanthe (pap-ee-lee-OH-nan-thee)

    Paraphalaenopsis (pair-ah-fayl-en-NOP-sis)pardinum (par-DEE-num)patula (pat-YEW-lah)Perrierangraecum (PAIR-ee-ay-an-GREY-kum)Polystachya (pol-ee-STAK-ee-ah)primulina (prim-YEW-lee-nah) puberulum (pew-BUR-yew-lum)pulchella (pull-KEL-ah)punctata (PUNK-tah-tah)purpurata (um) (pur-PUR-ah-tah [um])qingyongii (CHING-YONG-ee-eye)Renanthera (ren-ANN-ther-ah)rhodosticta (row-do-STICK-tah)Rhynchostylis (rink-oh-STY-liss)roseovitattata (rose-ee-oh-VEE-tah-tahRossioglossum (ross-ee-oh-GLOSS-um)rostellaris (ross-TELL-air-iss)rusituensis (rew-sih-TOO-en-sis)rutenbergianum (roo-ten-BERG-ee-an-um)Satyrium (say-TEER-ee-um)schlieperianum (SCHLEE-perr-ee-ah-num)seegeri (SEE-gerr-eye)serpentilingua (sir-pen-tih-LING-yew-ah)sinicum (SY-nih-kum)somalensis (sow-MAL-en-sis) spiculata (SPIK-yew-lah-tah)splendida (splen-DEE-dah)stella-africae (STELL-ah-aff-RIH-kay or aff-RIH-kee)stelligera (stell-ih-GERR-ah)Stenoglottis (sten-oh-GLOT-iss)stylosa (STY-loh-sah) sukhakulii (soo-kah-KOO-lee-eye)thomsonii (tom-SON-ee-eye)Ticoglossum (tee-koh-GLOSS-um)transvaalensis (tranz-VAHL-en-sis)tridentatum (try-DEN-tah-tum)ugandensis (yew-GAN-den-sis)Vandachostylis (VAN-dah-ko-STY-liss)venustum (VENN-ooh-stum)verdickii (vir-DICK-ee-eye)versicolor (verr-sih-KOH-lor)wardii (WARD-ee-eye)warneri (WAR-nerr-eye)warscewiczii (var-sheh-VITZ-ee-eye)williamsianum (will-ee-ums-EE-ah-num)wolterianum (wohl-TERR-ee-ah-num)ying-xiangii (ING-SHEE-ung-ee-eye)zambesiaca (zam-BEES-ee-ah-kah)zeyheriana (ZAY-err-ee-ah-na)

    www.AOS.Org september 2013 Orchids 515

    thepronunciationoforchidnamescanbedauntingforthenoviceandexperiencedgroweralike.presentedbelowisasimplifiedpronunciationguidespecifictothenamesfoundinthisissueofOrchidsmagazine.Anattempthasbeenmadetorepresenteachsyllableusingeasilyrecognizedsoundsorwordsseparatedbyhyphensandnotstandardphoneticsymbols.endingssuchasatusoranumhavetwocommonlyencounteredpronunciations.representedherethebroada(ah)hasbeenused,ah-tusorah-numhoweverthealternativeendings,-ay-tusand-ay-num,areoftenheardamongAmericanorchidgrowers.

  • 516 Orchids september 2013 www.AOS.Org

    AmericAn Orchid SOciety nAtiOnAl VOlunteerSOfficers

    Sandra Tillisch Svobodapresident

    Thomas EtheridgeFred MissbachVicepresidents

    Jean Hollebonesecretary

    Peter Furnisstreasurer

    Max ThompsonAssistanttreasurer

    Chris Rehmannimmediatepastpresident

    Trustees 20112014

    Jeff Bradley, Russell Clark,Nancy Mountford,

    June Simpson

    20122015Jeanne Buchanan,

    Mario Ferrusi, Ron Giles, John Ingram, Frank Smith

    20132016Fred Clarke, Harry Gallis, MD,

    David Toyoshima, Carol Zoltowskit

    HonoraryVicePresidentsRoger Brown, Donna Craig,

    Peter R. Furniss, Ernest Hetherington, Ann Jesup, Phil Jesup, Thomas Sheehan

    PastPresidentsAlbert C. Burrage, F. Eugene Dixon, Wharton

    Sinkler, Rodney Wilcox Jones, Frederick T. Bonham, George W. Butterworth Sr., Frank J. Lind, Robert M. Scully Sr., G. Ferguson Beall, Walter Slagle, Lewis C. Vaughn, Keith Shaffer, Dr. Jonathan W. Williams, Norman B. Merkel, Dr. Lawrence L. Vance, Merritt W. Huntington,

    Raymond McCullough, William E. Farrell, Paul B. Moore, Dr. David H. Brown, FL Stevenson, Dr. J. Woodson Phillips, Donna Craig, Mary

    Davidson Dunnell, Donald E. Herman, Peter R. Furniss, Marvin Gerber, Milton O. Carpenter,

    Roger Brown, Robert J. Griesbach, Art Moore, Carlos Fighetti, Chris Rehmann

    [email protected] Tillisch Svoboda, ChairThomas Etheridge, Peter Furniss, Jean Hollebone, Fred Missbach, Chris Rehmann, Max C. Thompson

    [email protected] Fuller, ChairManuel Aybar, Rosalie Dixler, Pat Dunn, Mario Ferrusi, Dot Henley, Robert Henley, Jean Hollebone, Candace Hollinger, Betty Kurka, Marilyn Lee, Wayne Marine, Norma Raiff, William Riley, Gladys Roudel, Johnita Turner, Marie-Christine Viallet

    [email protected] Horak, ChairSteven Beckendorf, Hilda Belman, Joseph Dixler, Leon Glicenstein, Theodore Green, Aaron Hicks, Tom Mirenda, John Salventi, Philip Seaton, Marilyn Shapiro, John Sullivan, Mark SullivanAdvisory Members: Anita Aldrich, Paul Bechtel, Phillip Cribb, Robert Gabel, Eric Hgsater, Johan Hermans, Alexander Hirtz, Ann Jesup, Saw Lwin, Ned Nash, K.C. Pradhan, William Rhodehamel, Rapee Sagarik, Kiat Tan, Ileana Teran

    [email protected] Fighetti, June Simpson

    [email protected] Tall, ChairEdward Baenziger, Cynthia Coty, William Ellis, Steve Fischer, John Fordham, Lynn Fox, Carol Klonowski, Ron Midgett, Jeanne Rhinehart, Louise Roesser, John Stubbings, Sandy Stubbings, Gregory Truex

    [email protected] Furniss, ChairRussell Clark, Fred Missbach, Nancy Mountford, Chris Rehmann, Max Thompson

    [email protected] Ferrusi, ChairTom Etheridge, Harry Gallis, Jean Hollebone, Taylor Slaughter

    InformationTechnologyCommitteeinformation_technology_committee@aos.orgGreg Filter, ChairHoward Bronstein, Ted Kellogg, Frank Slaughter

    [email protected] Gallis, ChairMarion Allen, Kathy Barrett, Michael Blietz, Patsy Boersma, Howard Bronstein, Glenn Brown, Judy Cook, Sallie Delahoussaye, Jos Exposito, Carlos Fighetti, Aileen Garrison, George Hatfield, Lowell Jacks, C. Todd Kennedy, Terry Kennedy, Julius J. Klehm Jr., Joe Lankton, Joe Peterson, Bonnie Riley, Bryon Rinke, Jennifer Ritchie, Paul Sheetz, Taylor Slaughter, James Spatzek, Linda Thorne, Susan Wedegaertner, Robert Winkley, Janice Yates

    Library/[email protected] Ingram, ChairDoris Asher, Christine Chowning, Diana Dunn, Robert Fuchs, Gail Furniss, Norito Hasegawa, Ernest Hetherington, Carlos Ossenbach, Francis Plimpton, Chris Rehmann, Thomas Sheehan, Marilyn Stark

    [email protected] Smith, ChairJeanne Buchanan, Fred Clarke, Lois Dauelsberg, Laura DeCarlo, Nile S. Dusdieker, Lynn Fuller, Maurice Garvey, Jayme Hennek, Susan Heuer, David Janvrin, Wayne Louie, Alexa Noel, Ty Triplett, Sarah Waddoups, Charles S. Wilkins Jr., Colleen Wold, H.W. Zoufaly

    [email protected] Hatfield, ChairJeanne Buchanan, John Ingram, Chris Rehmann, Beverly Tall, Robert Winkley, Carol Zoltowski

    [email protected] Allikas, ChairKathy Barrett, Glen Decker, Harry Gallis, Wesley Higgins, Cynthia Hill, Jean Allen-Ikeson, Phil Jesup, Tom Oder, Kent Peterson, Ken Slump [email protected] Toyoshima, ChairJeanne Buchanan, Fred Clarke, Norman Fang, Carri Raven-Riemann

    [email protected] Zoltowski, Chair Tom Etheridge, R.J. Griesbach, Patricia Harding, Marcia Miller-Hjelle, Nancy Mountford, Thomas Sheehan, John Stommel, Cynthia Van Der Wiele, Norris Williams, Kenneth Wilson, Lawrence Zettler

  • www.AOS.Org september 2013 Orchids 517

  • Questions and answers

    518 Orchids september 2013 www.AOS.Org

    ORCHIDS OUT OF DOORS Question I live on a small lot in suburban South Florida and can grow orchids outdoors all year. I built the small shade house in this picture to house our orchids. Shading it a bit also is a palm tree on the neighbors side of the fence. According to my light meter, the light level is just about perfect more or less 2,000 l.c. depending on the time of day. I have installed a wireless outdoor temp and humidity sensor mounted in the shade house. The shade cloth is fixed on the sides and back but can be rolled up in the front when the sun is not shining directly on it. I put plastic on the top to keep the rain and there are three small fans that keep the air moving. I plan to buy a Mist King system for humidity control. The misting system comes with a timer and I know we need to make sure the leaves arent wet at night. My question is how often should the misting system turn on and for how long should each burst of mist last? Mark Klinefelter ([email protected]). Answer Thank you for sending the images of your new structure.....very nice. In South Florida you may find that humidity is not a problem except for the drier winter days. Theres no good rule of thumb as to how long your plants should be misted and much depends on air movement, outdoor humidity and the system itself. I would suggest on a hot day see how long it takes for water droplets to evaporate and use that as a guide to figuring out an interval for your misting system. It would be great if your system allows you to set it differently for sunny vs. cloudy days or with variation in temperature. One reason I dont care much for automatic systems is their inflexibility unless you invest in an expensive system. For instance, what would be good settings for a hot summer day may be useless on a cloudy day or even a sunny winter day.

    What worries me more is that your orchids are stacked on top of each other. For a variety of reasons this can be a bad situation. First, plants lower down may

    not get enough light as they are shaded by those above. Much more importantly, plants will drip on each other and this is a surefire way to pass pests and diseases from plant to plant virus, rots and insects. Everything on your bottom shelf can be infected by multiple problems in no time flat. If you have the space, you might want to reconfigure this system so that plants are not directly over other plants. Thomas Mirenda ([email protected]).

    THOSE UGLY CANES Question I grow a number of cane dendrobiums and would like to know what to do with the canes after they have flowered? From a casual perspective, after flowering, they just SIT there! The remain green so I assume they are still taking up water through their roots but what other function do they have? Can I just cut them off? I have seen in some books that you cut them up into sections and place horizontally on potting medium to produce little plants. Does this really work? Anonymous Answer Dendrobiums will often put out additional flower spikes on older canes. Any nodes that have previously bloomed wont bloom again but often lower down or uppermost unbloomed nodes might still send out a spike, even on an aged cane. And, yes the old canes do feed and support the newer growths. For these reasons they should be left on the plant until they are no longer green or become truly unsightly. If your plants are getting too large, or old canes stop flowering or just look really bad its time to remove them and repot the plant. One word of caution dont do this in the fall or winter when your

    plants arent actively growing. Doing so can dramatically stress or even kill the plants. They wont establish well and can rot easily. Wait until you see good new root growth and then repot in a fresh, well drained mix and support with a stake. Keep your plants out of windy conditions and water very carefully (slow water stream) until well established.

    It is true that many of the cane dendrobiums will produce small plantlets if cut into sections. Each piece of cane must have at least one node (old leaf scar) because its the tiny undeveloped growth bud at this spot that actually produces the plantlet. Lay the sections horizontally on moist potting media or sphagnum moss and keep them moderately shady and humid. Depending on the plant, the dormant buds will begin to grow little plants over a period of a few months. When the little plants have developed roots about two inches long they can be potted up and grown on. People who grow cymbidiums know about sprouting backbulbs and its effectively the same idea. Its a good way to propagate new plants for your friends. Thomas Mirenda (email [email protected])

  • www.AOS.Org september 2013 Orchids 519

  • past, present, Future

    Malibu Orchid Society Turns Fiftyby Gerlinde and Georg Stelzner

    520 OrchidS SepTeMber 2013 www.AOS.Org

    THE BEGINNING In the springof 1963, Hugo Freed founded the now-prosperingMalibuOrchidSociety(MOS)in Southern California. Hugo, a well-known orchid hybridizer and lecturer,wasthegeneralmanagerofArthurFreedOrchidCompany,operatingsince1946onBonsallDriveinMalibu.Hugosbrother,Arthur, was the famous Hollywoodproduceroffilmmusicals.

    Gerlinde Stelzner

    Orchid societieswere relatively rareat that time and theconsensus was that itwould be difficult toorganize a viable onein Malibu. However,therewereotherorchidsocieties in SouthernCalifornia that had

    been around for some time and orchidsweregrowinginpopularity.Furthermore,thedecisiontoholdthe5thWorldOrchidConference (WOC) in Long Beach,Californiain1966hadjustbeenannouncedat the 4th WOC in Singapore in 1963.TheSouthlandOrchidShowCommittee,representing all of Southern Californiasorchidsocietiesat thetime,wasfoundedtoprepareforthatupcomingevent.Muchsupport was going to be needed for theconferenceand,becauseHugoFreedwasalready involved in the World OrchidConferencesbyvirtueofhisattendanceatthepriorconferences,hewasmotivatedtostart theMalibuOrchidSociety.Aboutadozenpeople had beenmeetingmonthlyinHugosofficetodiscussorchidcultureandthisgroupbecamethenucleusofournewfledglingorchidsociety.

    There were eight charter membersincluding Amado Vazquez, then headgrowerforFreedsorchidrangeandlaterto become the founder of ZumaCanyonOrchidshereinMalibu.MadelaineFobert,Hugo Freeds secretary, served as ourmembership secretary for 20 years. Talkabout dedication. One can assume that,in one way or another, allMOS societymembersvisitedorcontributedtothe5thWOCinLongBeach.Howoftendoyouget an event like that in your backyard?After operating informally for six years,theMOS incorporated on June 27, 1969listingninedirectors.Unfortunately,mostofthosedirectorshavenowpassedon. THE EARLY YEARS For the firstcouple of decades, MOS meetings were

    held in various placesandduringmuchof the1970s, regular monthlymeetings were held inschools, restaurantsand the Malibu CivicCenter. Board meetingswere held in the homesof members, rotatinglocationsmuchaswedotoday.ItwasthecustomatthetimeforthehostsandotherMOSmembersto prepare refreshmentsfor thesemeetings.Oneof still-living membersfromthattimeisMargaretWilson.Whilechatting with Margaret recently, sherelatedastoryaboutatimewhensheandherhusband,Dwight,hostedoneoftheseboardmeetings.DwightaskedMargarettobakeapieratherthanpurchaseoneready-made. So, Margaret baked the pie. Noteveryoneiscutouttobeabakerandafterdinner she noticed that,while the fillingwasgone, noonehad touched the crust.Margaretpurchasedpies for futureMOSboardmeetings. BUILDING THE FAMILY Socialevents hold societies together becausemembers become part of the familyand the MOS was no exception. Overthe years,many social functions such assummer picnics were held on the largegroundsontheendofBonsallDrivewheretheFreednurserywasthenlocated.HugoFreed retired in1974aftermanaging theorchid firm for 28 years. The businesswassoldin1978toAmadoVazquez,andZumaCanyonOrchidswasborn.AmadossonGeorgewasinchargeofsalesandhiswife,MariaVazquez, ran the laboratory.All real orchid nurseries had their ownflasking laboratories in those days you couldnt live without one.At somepoint in time, the business was movedto its present location, still on BonsallDrive,butsomewhatclosertotheocean.The ZumaCanyon facility was used forsociety picnics in the summer andmanyinteresting parties over the interveningyears. I remember one year, 1986,whenanMOSpicnicwasheldatZumaCanyonOrchidswith a contest for the best tablesetting. Onemember, whowanted to besuretobeoneofthewinners(allfamilieshavesomeonewhowillgotoanylengths...right?),cameearlytoinstallacrystal

    chandelierhangingfromthesycamoretreeover the table, which was draped to thefloorwithallthedinnerfineriesofcrystal,asilvercenterpiecewithorchidsanddresscodetomatch.Needlesstosay,theywon.During this time, the MOS also stagedfancy holiday banquets at the SaddlePeak Lodge in Calabasas. Centerpiececontests were one of the highlights ofthoseaffairs.

    Summerpartieswerealsoheldattheestate of longtime members in centralMalibu. Those parties always drewlarge crowds. Each party had a differentelaborate theme. One was a Hawaiianluau completewith roasted pig and huladancers.Thataffairincludedalegcontestformen,wonbynoneotherthanAmadoVazquez. Orchid leis were flown in byanother member for people to wear fortheeveningaffair.MaiTaismadebyRedMarsh were always a standard at thoseparties.Oh,thegoodolddays.

    RedandTrudiMarshwereveryactiveMOS members and Trudi designed ourMalibu logo, which was inspired by thelateHelenPastushinandstillusedtoday.Trudicouldalwaysbecountedontohelpwithmany show art projects, as well asmaking her home available for boardmeetings. THE SHOWS AND PUBLIC EXPOSURE Before orchids becameacommodity sold ineverygrocery storeand home improvement center, theseexotic plants were publicized through

    [1] Orchid growers in Malibu are blessed with a year-round benign climate and most of our members keep their collec-tions outside

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    orchid shows put on by local societies. One of the earliest in Southern California was the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show, established in 1945. Helen Pastushin, an accomplished orchid grower and early member of the MOS, designed the MOS entries for these shows during the late 1960s and all through the 1970s. In 1982, Georg and Gerlinde Stelzner moved to Malibu and joined the MOS. Gerlinde had been designing exhibits for the San Fernando Valley Orchid Society for several years and became involved in similar endeavors for the MOS. Since 1982, Gerlinde has been the chief designer for MOS displays at several different orchid shows including the Santa Barbara show and the shows that used to be held at the New Otani Hotel and Garden in Los Angeles. EVOLUTION In the spring of 1996, the society moved its meetings to the Pacific Palisades Womens Club, where we still meet. The organizations monthly meetings have changed very little over these 50 years but there have been changes in the way the meetings are described and documented. Some records, provided by Mary McEdwards, show that for at least some time in the early 1970s, extensive notes were taken on the speakers lectures. These notes typically ran for several pages of typed script and provided an excellent compilation of practical information on orchid culture and the characteristics of different genera. These extensive notes provide a fascinating insight into the efforts of devoted members during that time.

    Another difference was that in the early days each newsletter devoted considerable space to recording the events of the past meeting. During the mid-1980s, the newsletter would list every plant on the prior meetings plant forum table, who had grown the plant and occasionally some notes about how it was grown; of course, the results of the judging were included with some eight to ten awards at a typical meeting. Unfortunately, lavish documentation of meetings gradually declined and would be very difficult to recreate today. The only difference between todays meetings and those of the past was the introduction of a regular culture session, introduced in 1995 by then-president Sherry Hunter. Red Marsh gave the first culture session focusing on staking and repotting. These culture sessions have proven to be a popular component of our meetings.

    Participating in the Malibu Art Festival served the MOS as a place for exposure to

    the public and as a profitable fundraiser. For many years, the crowd always enjoyed our display, the orchid divisions available and, of course, the flowers. Unfortunately, like many events, participation is no longer profitable. THE FUTURE The MOS continues as a viable society with 50 years under our belt and, we hope, 50 more to come. In general, the very large collections like that of Red and Trudi Marsh are gone and, with the advent of readily available mass-market plants, there is less emphasis on getting every plant name right. Like all modern specialty clubs, its harder to recruit and keep members, but we are a family after all and we are adjusting to ever-changing times as we look forward into the future. Gerlinde Stelzner and her husband Georg have been faithful Malibu Orchid Society members for 30 years. She, with the help of her husband and many other dedicated members, has been the chief designer of the MOS award-winning show exhibits for this entire time, P.O. Box 1244, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 (www.malibuorchidsociety.org).

    [2] themOsdisplayforthe1992santabar-barainternationalOrchidshowfeaturinganorchid-adornedworkingFerrisWheel.

    [3] Our1996display,theArtofOrchids,forthe1996santabarbarainternationalOrchidshow.

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  • for the novice

    A Scaly ProblemPrepared by the American Orchid Society Education Committee/Photographs by Greg Allikas

    522 OrChidS SEPtEmbEr 2013 www.AOS.Org

    Unlike the pests we have covered in previous columns, scale can be difficult to eradicate, especially if left unchecked for any length of time. while there are a number of species that affect orchids, the two most common are Boisduval scale and soft brown scale. Colonies of either can become entrenched at the base of a pseudobulb, under sheaths or in between the equitant leaves of tolumnias. You may not notice them until the pests have done their damage. although scale can be found on flat surfaces of leaves, the worst damage is done at the base of pseudobulbs where they can destroy the eye that would expand to be the next years growth. plants with tightly clustered pseudobulbs such as Encyclia are particularly at risk. if the infestation is severe, all secondary eyes may be damaged, thus sending the plant into a downward spiral from which it cannot recover.

    Female Boisduval scale show up as round, light-colored patches on plants whereas the males have a cottony appearance that can be mistaken for mealybugs or whiteflies. Close examination is needed (the insects are less than 1/16 inch [1 mm]) to notice the elongate shape and three longitudinal ridges. soft brown scale is easily identified by its oval waxy brown shell. Females lay eggs under the protective shells; the eggs then hatch into the crawler stage. as crawlers the insects can move from plant to plant, but only for short distances and especially if plants are touching each other. Because the crawlers are so small, they can also be distributed by moving air. while it takes around a month for a generation of scale insects to mature from egg to adult, the pests can have overlapping generations. it is this continual procreation that makes scale such a formidable pest to eliminate. the waxy armor coating protects egg-laying females from chemical controls. they are most vulnerable during the crawler stage. while you may eliminate crawlers with one treatment, it can take repeated application of chemicals to completely wipe out scale from your collection.

    as with problems of any sort, early detection makes fixing the problem much easier. this is especially true regarding scale insects. Most scale infestations are brought into an orchid collection on other plants. Depending on how dedicated

    and precision-oriented you are, the first line of treatment is at the door of your greenhouse. newly acquired plants should at the very least be thoroughly inspected before adding them to your population of healthy orchid plants. Other steps that some growers take range from giving new plants a prophylactic spray of broad-spectrum insecticide (or household remedy) to keeping new plants in quarantine for several weeks. Between those two extremes lies the sensible approach of gently scrubbing new plants with a toothbrush and isopropyl alcohol, paying particular attention to removing dry sheaths from the pseudobulbs just to be sure there are no buggers hiding under them. although you should have inspected any plant before plunking down your money, this second hands on treatment gives you another opportunity to evaluate the plants overall health. One caution about this practice is that you do not want to scrub hard enough to break plant tissue, because then you can spread disease.

    Other controls are similar to those mentioned for aphids and mealybugs. we go up the ladder from relatively low toxicity to poisonous measures. the main difference in treating scale is that due to the pests overlapping generations, applications must be repeated several times at 10- to 14-day intervals. this is

    [1] boisduval scale. the larger, dark brown round mass is the female scale insect. the numerous white rod-like are the male scale insects.

    [2] Soft brown scale on the underside of a Phalaenopsis leaf.

    [3] Soft scale infesting the roots of this orchid.

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    extremely important when treating scale and three applications of pesticide is the minimum for effecting control. With the more benign treatments such as soaps or household remedies, the battle can be a long and prolonged one with control being limited to keeping the scourge at a nondestructive level.

    Orthene WP, malathion, Sevin (carbaryl) and imidacloprid are all also used as treatment of scale, with the above recommendation of repeated applications. Cygon (dimethoate) used to be the chemical of choice for treating scale but it is no longer available to the hobbyist and it could cause damage to certain orchids. Should you decide to use pesticides to treat scale, treat these substances with the respect they deserve by following label instructions and wearing protective clothing. They kill insect pests because they are poison!

    A new class of control has become popular with nursery operators; however, because of cost, it may not be practical for the orchid hobbyist. Growth regulators such as Enstar II have been reported as effective against scale while having minimal toxicity for humans. They work by interrupting normal development of the pests. Splitting the cost among several orchidists may be a workable solution for obtaining the product to treat a scale outbreak.

    Although there are other insects that can be annoying to orchid growers, most are uncommon (orchid blossom midge) or large enough to control mechanically (roaches, pill bugs). There is one

    additional insect that we will mention here before we move on to other families of pest. Whiteflies are related to aphids and mealybugs and treatment is the same for severe infestations. You know you have a whitefly problem if a white cloud of tiny insects arises when you touch an orchid plant. Yellow sticky traps can provide effective and permanent control against whitefly infestations. You can make your own by painting 4- 6-inch (10- 15-cm) cardboard cards yellow and coating them with a sticky substance such as mineral oil or petroleum jelly. (It may be easier to buy them from a garden supply store.) Hang the cards every 6 feet (1.8 m) or so apart

    and replace when they become covered with whiteflies.

    Finally, there are biological controls such as parasitic and predatory insects that can be used to control scale, aphids, mealybugs and whiteflies. See www.aos.org for more in-depth information.

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    [4]thiscattleyaishosttoaverywell-estab-lishedcolonyofboisduvalorcottonyscale.

    [5]thesecattleyabudswillbeseriouslydamagedbythiscolonyofwhiteflies.

  • toms monthly checklist

    September: the month of entropyBy Thomas Mirenda

    524 Orchids sepTeMBer 2013 www.AOS.Org

    A very bAsic goAl in the orchid world is to attempt to make order out of chaos. collection managers create and maintain databases so we can know exactly where each individual plant in the greenhouses is located. breeders keep exacting and elaborate records of their crosses. taxonomists use advanced molecular technology to place orchid genera in the order that best reflects their genetic and evolutionary relationships. even the average hobbyist is likely to keep a log of the plants they own and track their progress over the years with potting and blooming. the more we know about our orchids the more organized and methodical we can be with our collections, right? Why is it then that things seem to get more chaotic and confusing every year?

    call me old-fashioned (and many people do) but i often find that the massive quantities of data available, even if very well-organized and highly factual, seem to create even more confusion. there is a constant bombardment of information, procedure and regulation for practically every endeavor and, frankly, while these things are supposed to make our lives easier, they ultimately seem to have the exact opposite effect. Much of this alarming complexity is generated by the requirements of post 9-11 living and the growing, ubiquitous presence of technology in our daily lives. these things are not going away. so, take a breath! i think it is important at this moment in time to remember what it was that brought us to orchid growing in the first place: simple things like beauty, grace, wonder, joy, fragrance and of course, the fun of it!

    sloWing doWn in this fast-paced world, orchids remind us about patience and anticipation; what we call the slow life. Weve all seen time-lapse photography of flowers opening. such images can be quite dynamic and dramatic, but this action happens at such a slow pace we barely notice it. if you were to do similar timed images of your orchids growing progress over the summer, youd see that most new growths have now matured and are starting to slow down. Dendobium canes, for example, should now be reaching their tallest and producing a terminal leaf. Pseudobulbous orchids such as oncidiums, cattleyas and cymbidiums are still storing nutrients and bulbs may still fatten considerably.

    even so, be aware that temperatures and corresponding growth rates are going down and water and fertilizer should be adjusted accordingly. this seasonal transition should be reflected in your cultural efforts.

    be cool the fall brings us cooler temperatures, shorter days and longer nights. these environmental shifts are, for many orchids, the triggers that induce flower spikes. have you ever noticed that each of the Cattleya species blooms reliably the same time every year? how do they know when to do this? to my knowledge, none of them have ever looked at a calendar. it is their sensation of day length, temperature differentials and seasonal rainfall fluctuations that induces flowering at such specific times. While some of this can be manipulated by growers, most of us who grow in greenhouses see marked and very specific seasonal blooming of our orchids based on these seasonal shifts. Keep an eye out for the beginning of spikes on many types of orchids this month and next. Arrange your plants so that these emerging spikes have space to elongate unobstructed. Plants that have longer spikes, such as oncidiums and phalaenopsis, can benefit from the placement of a guiding stake at this time so they dont go off on odd awkward angles. A little attention to this now will make for the best presentation when the plants ultimately bloom.

    c l e A n A n d c o Z y dWellings if your plants had the benefit of growing outside over the summer

    months, it is time to start preparing the indoor growing area for the upcoming winter season. if you are lucky enough to live in a climate where orchids can be outside year-round, humph! im quite jealous. the rest of us need to sterilize and prepare for the indoor return of orchids for the winter. check to be sure environmental equipment, heaters, humidifiers, fans, etc. are in good working order, and replace anything critical that might be ready to conk out. Planning the layout of where your plants should go for the best results based on your microclimates cant hurt either.

    hArdy orchids if youve been adventurous enough to plant temperate orchids in your garden, they are probably starting to look rather sad by this time of year. Many have already retreated underground for the winter. clear off any necrotic foliage and try to mark where these little gems are located so that they can be properly mulched, protected, monitored and fed (if necessary) before winter comes.

    chAos When the vicissitudes of modern living and the pressures of your job become too much to bear, remember that your orchids are there, just steps away in the greenhouse, or right there on the windowsill and that indeed there are still many simple pleasures in this world.

    Thomas Mirenda is the orchid collection specialist at the Smithsonian Institution and an AOS accredited judge. 3000 Cedar Lane, Fairfax, Virginia 22031 (email [email protected])

    catasetums and their relatives are naturally deciduous and its important to allow the plants to go dormant as fall approaches. They will sit for months in this state subsisting on the water stored in the pseudobulbs and atmospheric humidity before resuming grow in the spring

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  • genus of the month

    Rossioglossum by Thomas MirendaSurely You Jest!

    526 OrchidS SepTeMber 2013 www.AOS.Org

    With so many Worthy and compelling orchid genera out there to delight the species specialists, it will be many, many years before i have to revisit a particular genus in this column. But, some genera are just so fascinating and fantastic, i sometimes cant resist wanting to feature them again. Rossioglossum, often bearing exceptionally large and colorful flowers with a remarkable lacquered sheen, warrants revisitation for a few compelling reasons, not the least of which being that a well-bloomed Rossioglossum will never fail to impress. Back in 2009, i wrote a short piece about this astounding genus of spectacular, predominantly mexican to Central american, Oncidium allies. since

    Thomas Mirenda

    that time, molecular analysis has shown that the genus has a few other members that dont, at first glance, conform floristically to the historical Rossioglossum norm, namely large yellow-

    and-brown flowers with curved sepals that remind us of a bouncing jesters hat. many people assign the common name of clown orchid to members of this lovely genus but i feel that name does them a disservice. While clowns can be funny, or ridiculous, or downright scary, rossioglossums are superb plants with spectacular, impressive flowers. there is nothing funny about them! surprisingly easy to grow, though somewhat shy about blooming if their specific needs are not met, it would be exceedingly difficult to find showier flowers in the oncidiinae. those with large yellow-and-brown flowers are denizens of upper-elevation deciduous forests from mexico to Panama, those with white or pink flowers are found at somewhat more moderate elevations and one species, Rossioglossum ampliatum, is found in warm forests all the way to Peru. regardless of where they are from, rossioglossums require an unusual and counterintuitive cultural regimen in order to bloom well.

    Rossioglossum grande, arguably the showiest of the species, is found between 4,600 and 8,800 feet (1,4002,700 m) in mexico and Guatemala. the year-round temperatures at that altitude are quite cool (summer days of 75 F [24 C] and winter

    nights of 50 F [10 C] on average). this temperature regimen, combined with a winter dry period (remember its from a deciduous forest area) make the plant most suitable for those growers able to provide year-round cool conditions. this being said, we can cultivate this plant successfully through the torrid Washington, dC, summers, as long as they cool sufficiently during their winter rest. We cannot, however, bloom them to their full potential in our climate. Growers in the Pacific northwest, the cool, dry areas of coastal California, other northern states, Canada and temperate areas of Europe should have glorious results.

    though Ros. grande is possibly the most magnificent, all the Rossioglossum species are deserving of cultivation. Growers with warmer conditions will want to try Rossioglossum williamsianum, which is from lower elevations (under

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    [1] Rossioglossum grande dene b. hcc/AOS. grower: carol beule

    [2] Rossioglossum williamsianum flowered in costa rica

    [3] Rossioglossum rawdon Jester Mario palmieri Fcc/AOS (grande williamsia-num). This particularly fine example was exhibited in guatemala in the winter of 2012. grower: Mario and Silvia palmieri

    3,300 feet [1,000 m]) of Guatemala and honduras. this species has flowers that are similar to, if somewhat smaller than, Ros. grande but is equally showy in that it can have up to a dozen or more blooms of fuller form on a longer spike. Rossioglossum schlieperianum prefers cooler conditions like Ros. grande but the flowers differ in having more of a yellow background color and distinct differences in details of its column wings. many find the hybrid Rossioglossum rawdon Jester (grande williamsianum), to be easier to bloom and more vigorous than either parent. though the flowers are

  • www.AOS.Org september 2013 Orchids 527

    considerably smaller than those previously mentioned, Rossioglossum insleayi, from Mexico, makes a terrific specimen plant. Its colorful flowers are more recognizably Oncidium-like.

    Two species once included in the genus Ticoglossum have been found to actually be embedded within the genus Rossioglossum. Though the flowers are much reduced, Rossioglossum krameri, found from Nicaragua to Panama, has a lovely shell-pink to cream-white coloration and a very long (up to six month) blooming period. Unlike most of the other rossioglossums, Ros. krameri will grow and bloom in intermediate to even warm conditions. Rossioglossum oerstedii, found in Costa Rica and Panama at elevations generally over 6,500 feet (2,000 m), is a decidedly cool-grower and is rarer in cultivation but has similar qualities and perky white-and-yellow flowers. While they will grow potted, Ive found that both prefer dryer basket conditions and a coarser, well-draining potting mix than the cooler growers, which seem to like to be kept on the moist side while in active growth (spring and summer). All the rossioglossums prefer to be quite dry in the winter months. I am a little wistful about the loss of the genus Ticoglossum.. It was created to honor the country of Costa Rica with what, at the time, was believed to be an endemic genus. Costa Ricans refer to themselves as Ticos, a term that stems from their endemic linguistic propensity to use the diminutive suffix -ico rather than -ito in common language, i.e., poquitico instead of poquitito as you would find in the rest of Latin America.

    While the addition of the previous two species is rather easy to accept, I need to include one rather controversial plant here, a plant many of us know and love by other names. Commonly known as the turtle shell orchid, Rossioglossum ampliatum seems, on first glance, to be far different from the rest because the flowers look so very much like what we think of as typical of oncidiums. But, what we have seen repeatedly in the orchid family is that floral characteristics evolve based on the available pollinators in their environment and therefore floral convergence happens frequently among distantly related or even totally unrelated species. In the Oncidiinae in general, many different genera mimic flowers in the Malpighiaceae. These large shrubs and trees grow in the same habitats and produce hundreds of thousands of yellow-and-brown flowers that offer a nutritious oil as a reward for the pollinators, oil-collecting bees. The size

    of the flowers is largely dependent on the size of the specific bee species involved; large flowers are pollinated by large bees and small flowers by small bees. Rossioglossum ampliatum, with its yellow and brown flowers, is clearly a malpighia mimic, presumably pollinated by a small oil-collecting bee These orchids mimic the malpighia flowers almost perfectly to attract the bees by deception, (there is usually no oil reward in the orchid flowers). When one examines Ros. ampliatum critically, we can see many physical similarities to the others in the genus, for example the sizable keeled pseudobulbs and the panduriform lip. While you may think I am jesting, I am now convinced that what we once knew as Oncidium ampliatum is indeed more closely related to Rossioglossum. One of the most impressively grown specimens of this outstanding species was actually grown on a cork mount. It had massive and beautiful pseudobulbs which, to my eye, were even more impressive than the well-flowered spikes!

    Thomas Mirenda is the orchid collection specialist at the Smithsonian Institution and an AOS accredited judge. 3000 Cedar Lane, Fairfax, Virginia 22031 (email [email protected])

    [4] Rossioglossuminsleayierinhcc/AOs.Grower:Jordanhawley

    [5] Rossioglossumkrameri,abeautifulcen-tralAmericanspecies.

    [6] Rossioglossumoerstedii,unusualinthegenusforitsdelicatewhiteflowers

    [7] Rossioglossumampliatum,perhapsnowthemostunusualspeciesinthegenuswithitsmostOncidium-likeflowers.

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  • collectors item

    Aerangis distincta By Brenda Oviatt and Bill NerisonImages unless otherwise noted by Brenda Oviatt

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  • www.AOS.Org september 2013 Orchids 529

    Weve been groWing AerAngis for many years now, and have to say that our favorite thing about them is that theres hardly a day of the year that we dont have one in spike or bloom in our greenhouse. Theyre nearly all fragrant (to greater and lesser degrees), and most are relatively easy to grow once you familiarize yourself with their needs. When we decided to write about one, it was difficult to pick a favorite. We settled on Aerangis distincta in part because of its wider availability, its greater tolerance of changing conditions than other Aerangis (making it easier to grow well) and because it has one of the largest flowers of any Aerangis. because there are frequently other Aerangis (e.g., Aerangis splendida) sold that are in fact Aergs. distincta, we explain the differences and what to look for.

    The genus name Aerangis was first used by H.g. reichenbach in 1865 and is greek for air [aer] vessel [angos], referring to the hollow spur or nectary. Many species were previously known as angraecums, but there were enough differences to warrant a new genus. even the novice will instantly recognize the similarities the primarily white flowers with long spurs. As with angraecums, Aerangis are endemic to Africa and Madagascar (and locale). Aerangis distincta was described by the late Joyce Stewart and isobyl la Croix (1987). isobyl has told us that though it was not formally described until 1987, there is a collection in the Kew herbarium dating from 1892. it has no flowers and was originally labeled as Aerangis alcicornis, but it is obviously Aergs. distincta.

    As of this writing there are 57 Aerangis species and two natural hybrids. Limited DnA work is being done and recently all Microterangis (Chamaeangis) species were transferred to Aerangis. Chamaeangis (the genus from which Mictroterangis wer previously transferred) has been merged with Diaphananthe. Were not changing all of our tags just yet.

    There is considerable confusion in Aerangis species, in large part due to improper labeling. Two instances come to mind in reference to Aergs. distincta. it has been hybridized with Aerangis biloba, but this unregistered primary hybrid sometimes appears as Aergs. distincta and not as the hybrid. it is unknown whether theyve been mislabeled or if growers unknowingly use just the first part of the hybrid cross name. because of the increased flower count and flower size, there is a wow factor for this hybrid that is lacking in either species. There have

    been three AoS awards given to Aergs. distincta and the average flower count per inflorescence is threefour each. Five flowers on an inflorescence is excellent.Weve had quite a number of people contact us with pictures of their Aergs. splendida, and if memory serves correctly, not a single one has actually been Aergs. splendida. Most have been Aergs. distincta. once you have a mature plant and bloom it, the differences between Aergs. splendida and Aergs. distincta are easy to see, both in the plant and in the flowers. Mature plants of Aergs. splendida have leaves up to a foot (30 cm) long, and though theyll occasionally branch and

    [1]itseasytoseewhytheflowersofAerangisarelikenedtobirdsinflight.thespurornectaryonAerangis distinctais59inches(1323cm)long.Grower:botanicaLtd.

    [2]AspecimenAerangis distinctademon-stratingthemodestsizeandbeautifulfan-shapedarrangementoffoliage.Grower:botanicaLtd.

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  • 530 Orchids september 2013 www.AOS.Org

    Africaalcicornisappendiculata arachnopus bilobabouarensisbrachycarpa calantha carnea chirioana = (biloba kotschyana)collum-cygniconfusa coriaceadistinctagracillimagravenreuthii hologlottis jacksoniikirkiikotschyana luteoalba var. luteoalbaluteoalba var. rhodostictamaireaemontanamystacidiioliganthasomalensissplendidastelligerathomsoniiugandensisverdickiivar. rusituensisverdickiivar. verdickii

    Madagascarcitrataconcavipetalacoursiana

    The Species and Natural Hybrids of Aerangis and Country of Origin

    cryptodondecaryanadivitiflora ellisii fastuosafuscatahyaloidesmacrocentra monanthapallidiflorapulchellaseegeri

    Madagascar and Comorosarticulataboutonii modesta mooreanarostellarisspiculatastylosa

    Madagascar and Runion primulina = (citrata hyaloides)punctata

    So Tomflexuosa

    Comoroshariotiana hildebrandtiihumblotii

    Annobnmegaphylla

    produce a new plant, it is not as common. Mature plants of Aergs. distincta are fan shaped, will branch and form clumps and are a beautiful sight even out of bloom. Their leaves though rarely exceed 6 inches (15 cm). Both species have large, similarly sized flowers, the sepals and petals of Aergs. splendida being more uniform in size, pure white with loose coiling spurs. Aerangisdistincta has long lateral sepals; longer than the dorsal sepal and at least 3/8 inch (1 cm) longer than the petals. The sepals, petals and spur are almost always tinged with salmon-pink at the tips, and the spur is nearly straight. We have some plants that are more strongly colored salmon-pink than others; there is some variation, but all are beautiful!

    We have specimens of both Aergs. distincta and Aergs. splendida from Isobyl la Croix. Because Isobyl and the late Joyce Stewart originally described both species, weve called on Isobyl for expert information. We asked her to help us provide a key of things to look for to tell the difference between them, especially when looking at an immature, out-of-bloom plant. She replied, There is a big difference in the leaves of the two species. In Aergs. distincta, the leaves are almost triangular in shape, widest at the apex and with deep lobes diverging from each other. They are olive green and slightly ridged and usually dotted with black. Aerangissplendida has glossy, dark green leaves, not so deeply divided and with the lobes rounded. They are widest a bit below the apex and can grow up to a foot (30 cm)

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    An Aerangis CompendiumIsobyl la Croix, author extraordinaire, is writing a new book, dedicated to the

    memory of Joyce Stewart, covering Aerangis. She plans to include information on how the species grow in the wild, and have several photographs illustrating each species; showing the whole plant as well as just close-ups of the flowers. The book is currently in the preliminary stages and will be published by Timber Press in October 2014. As this is a specialty book, Timber Press will be setting up a dedicated website where people can sign up to pre-order it. We thoroughly enjoy Isobyls style of writing and highly recommend her books and articles. If you like Aerangis and want to know more about them, this book will most certainly be a must-have! Watch for advertising in Orchids and the Timber Press website (www.timberpress.com).

    long or perhaps more, in fact they are not too unlike Phalaenopsis leaves.

    In our experience reproducing these two species, weve had success with a selfing of Aergs. splendida and an outcross of Aergs. distincta. We had good germination of the seed of both, but whereas the Aergs. distincta thrived, the Aergs. splendida stalled out as protocorms. The Aergs. distincta have been replated and some are now growing on cork plaques in the greenhouse. We made many adjustments to the growing media in the lab and finally found something the Aergs. splendida like, but they are months (if not years) behind the Aergs. distincta, though both species germinated about the same time. We mentioned this to Isobyl and she related similar experience with her seedlings of Aergs. splendida, and we concur that this, in part, is why Aergs. distincta is more widespread in cultivation.

    Aerangis distincta is known only from Malawi. Isobyl notes that plants from the northern region of Malawi flower in the wild in March and April, and those from the central and southern regions flower in November and December. In cultivation, these differences persist. In the northern hemisphere the northern plants still flower in the winter (November and December) and the central and southern plants flower in the spring and early summer (May and June). Our plants, here in Montana, bloom consistently in July and August.

    Malawi, the home of Aergs. distincta, lies between 9 and 18 degrees south latitude and ranges from 200 to 9,900 feet (603,000 m) elevation with an average of 30 inches (90 cm) annual rainfall. A great portion of Malawi is the Great Rift Valley, and to the east of the valley is

    Lake Malawi. The climate is hot in the low-lying areas in the south and temperate in the northern highlands. The altitude moderates what would be an otherwise equatorial climate. Between November and April the temperature is warm with equatorial rains and thunderstorms, with the storms reaching their peak severity in late March. After March, the rainfall rapidly diminishes and from May to September wet mists float from the highlands into the plateaus, with almost no rainfall during these months. The rains are slightly later in the north than in the south. In the south, the heaviest rain is usually in January and February, while in the north, March is usually the wettest month. There is variation from year to year of course, but this does have an impact on a specific plant species like Aerangis distincta growing in different regions.

    HOPE FOR SURVIVAL In our work with rare and endangered angraecoids, its always a relief to find one that has been grown and reproduced successfully ex situ! Aerangis distincta is not exactly widely available, but it can be found for sale

    [3]theflowersopenflatandcanbeupto31/2inches(9cm)acrossandaretingedwithsalmon-pink.Grower:botanicaLtd.

    [4]Afterjustadayortwo,thepetalsbegintoreflex(pointbackward).theyhavealightgardenia-likefragrance;strongestafterdark.Grower:botanicaLtd.

    [5]Afterseveraldays,thepetalswillbecom-pletelyreflexedveryinterestingfromabove.Grower:botanicaLtd

    [6]inmalawi,Aerangis distinctaisfoundgrowingontreetrunksandsmallbranchesinriverineorevergreenforest,typicallynearariver,usuallybetween3,300and5,800feet(1,0001,750m),butoccasionallylower.

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    (and this cannot be said of all Aerangis). Continued efforts in quality propagation, correct labeling of species and education are paramount for species survival. What can YOU do? Pick a threatened species orchid (and there are plenty of them) and work to keep it alive and protected, both

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    [7]Noticethestronglytriangular,deeplylobedleavesofAerangisdistincta.Grower:botanicaLtd.[8]Aerangis distinctaleavesareslightlyridgedandusuallydottedwithblack.Grower:botanicaLtd.

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    How to Grow Aerangis distinctaCULTURE We tell growers, especially novices, that its usually easier to grow orchids in pots rather than mounted; primarily because mounted ones dry out more quickly (thereby requiring more consistent care). There are, however, a few plants that seem best suited to mounts. We feel that Aerangis distincta is one of them. We grow them both ways and our potted ones never look as healthy or vibrant as the mounted ones. When we looked at our potted ones recently, we chuckled. They have the look of plants trying to escape their pots, and this seems to be the case no matter how free-draining the medium is and how comfortable it seems they should be. Also, like Phalaenopsis, Aerangis resent water sitting in their crown and this can happen more easily when they are potted. Good air movement and watering early in the day can prevent this problem.LIGHT There is an ideal range of light in which Aergs. distincta will grow and bloom well. In too low light, they will grow fine, and if youre content with a beautiful plant that doesnt bloom, this will suffice (they are nice to look at even when out of bloom and that cant be said for all orchids). Intermediate light levels are best; our best plants are in an area that ranges from 400 to 900 footcandles, depending upon time of year. They grow well, bloom well and look good. They are also tolerant of consider-ably more light but will look less vibrant, often a bit desiccated, and the rich green leaves tend to yellow. Despite this appearance, often they will continue to bloom satisfactorily.TEMPERATURE In our greenhouse, plants get a range of 55 F (13 C) as a low in the winter and occasionally in excess of 96 F (36 C) in the summer. Weve not found Aergs. distincta to be as picky about their temperature range as some of the Aerangis, which makes them easier to cultivate. As we write this, our outdoor temperatures have been in the midhigh 90s (3537 C), with greenhouse temperatures in close proximity. Our oldest Aergs. distincta is in full bloom and has not suffered the same bud loss that some Aerangis will with a spike at these temperatures. With increased temperatures, our humidity also drops nearly to single digits with little effect on these plants or flowers. Weve also had the occasional drop to as low as 40 F (4.5 C) with-out damage, though were sure they dont want this on a regular basis.WATER/FERTILIZER For those using water high in total dissolved solids, reverse-osmosis water is preferable, especially for mounted plants. We use half strength or less fertilizer and a periodic flush with clean water. We rotate fertilizer formulas and always provide micronutrients. Unlike some Aerangis (i.e., Aerangis verdickii), a pronounced dormancy does not seem to be required for Aergs. distincta. Were at 47 degrees north latitude and we experience a slowdown in growth during the winter months with all plants, but we watch the root tips of Aergs. distincta, and if there is a visible growing tip, we continue with our regular watering regimen. Aerangis distinc-ta has a vigorous, midsized root system for an Aerangis, and they must be allowed to dry between watering. We have a spot where the mounted plants are very happy and we dont move them seasonally as with some orchids. They are joined with their neighbors and seem to like it that way.

    in collections and in its native habitat; and encourage others to do the same. Share pollen, seed and information!

    REFERENCESla Croix, I. 1987. NAME, Kew Bull. 42: 217la Croix, I., and E. la Croix. 1997. African Orchids in the

    Wild and in Cultivation. Timber Press, Portland, OR.World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Kew. http://

    apps.kew.org/wcsp/home.dohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawi.

    AcknowledgmentsWed like to thank Isobyl la Croix for

    sharing her wealth of information, insight, plant photos, her excellent books and articles and her personal communication over the years. Thanks also to Marion Allen (Chair; The Rocky Mountain Judging

    Center) for researching AOS awards for us and to Julian Shaw (Registrar; The Royal Horticultural Society) for providing us registration information.Brenda Oviatt is an artist and Bill Nerison is an architect. They live on the Clark Fork River in Missoula, Montana (a corner of paradise) with their daughter Marisa, son Tristan and an assortment of animals. Theyve been growing orchids together for 30 years and in that time have grown in many settings. For the last 10 years, their orchid growing has focused on the ex situ propagation of endangered angraecoids and the education of hobbyists and growers (website www.botanicaltd.com).

  • Paphiopedilum in ChinaPart VII: Subgenus Paphiopedilum Section Barbataby holger Pernerunless otherwise noted imagesby holder Perner

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    Paphiopedilum purpuratum was the first slipper orchid collected in china

  • PaPhioPedilum aPPletonianum (Gower) Rolfe 1896

    Further, our new species has staminode differences from the former two species somewhat difficult to describe, but ascertainable with the kodachrome camera. So wrote Jack Fowlie (1987), when he described a new species, Paphiopedilum hainanense. The other two species he referred to were Paphiopedilum appletonianum and Paphiopedilum wolterianum, the latter generally, and most justifiably so, regarded a synonym of Paph. appletonianum. A couple of weeks prior to his publication, Fowlie was shown the Paph. hainanense plant by Harold Koopowitz, who had brought the potted specimen along to a meeting of the orchid digest Publication Committee (Koopowitz pers. communication; Koopowitz 2011 for further details). Harold had gotten this plant from Emerson Doc Charles, who had it recently imported via Hong Kong. The plants origin was said to be Hainan, the large tropical Chinese island in the South China Sea. Harold regarded the Chinese plant as just a colorful form of the well-known Paph. appletonianum. Fowlie agreed, but still asked whether he could have the specimen. Gladly, Harold complied; after all, he could get more of them from Doc Charles. He even provided a color slide. To his surprise he found the formal description of Paphiopedilum hainanense, based on the plant he gave Fowlie and illustrated with his slide, in the very next issue of orchid digest. Jack Fowlie sometimes went to great lengths in his challenge to be on the forefront of Paphiopedilum research, indeed. Being a designated splitter, i.e., someone who focuses on separating characters and subsequently recognizes a considerable number of species in a given group, he published quite a lot of new taxa. However, Paph. hainanense is based solely on leaves that are more contrasting, flowers that are more colorful and a staminode somewhat different from some (but on no account all) specimens of Paph. appletonianum originating elsewhere. Leonid Averyanov extensively studied Paph. appletonianum populations in Vietnam (Hainan island lies 200 miles [320 km] off the coast of Vietnam) and could demonstrate a high variability within the species (Averyanov et al. 2003), which confirms that Paph. hainanense is fully embedded in Paph. appletonianum, and thus nothing but a synonym that is often arbitrarily applied to any more colorful Paph. appletonianum cultivars with nicely marked leaves, regardless of their

    [1] Paphiopedilum appletonianum in the wild on Southwest Hainan, January 2012, elevation approximately 3,300 feet (1,000 m).

    [2] Paphiopedilum appletonianum Pride of Chantaburi at the All Japan Orchid Society show, Tokyo 2012. Grower: Etaro Sekino.

    [3] Typical Paph. appletonianum from Hainan. Grower: Hengduan Mts. Biotechnology.

    origin. Additional synonyms of Paph. appletonianum published in China are Paphiopedilum tridentatum S.C. Chen, Z.J. Liu & J.Y. Zhang 2001, Paphiopedilum angustifolium R.F. Guo & Z. J. Liu 2002 and Paphiopedilum puberulum S.P. Lei & J. Y. Yang 2002.

    On Hainan, Paph. appletonianum occurs in the southwest of the central mountains at altitudes around 3,300 feet (1,000 m). It grows as a terrestrial in humus-rich soil of primary and secondary forests with granitic bedrock and flowers in late winter to early spring. The species is also found in southwestern Guangxi (Fu et al. 2002) and in southeastern Yunnan

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    (Liu et al. 2009, Xu et al. 2010), where it occurs at altitudes from 1,000 to 4,000 feet (3001,200 m) in forests. The species is confined to areas with mild winters and needs to be kept warmer in winter than most other Chinese paphiopedilums. Like such species as Paphiopedilum callosum (not found in China) it is initially an easy grower but seems to exhaust itself relatively fast after a few flowering seasons and easily declines. Some extra care with

    [4] specimen plant of Paph. appletonianum from the Chinese mainland. Grower: hengduan mts. biotechnology.

    [5] Close-up of a Paph. appletonianum culti-var from hainan Island.

    frequent repotting (every 612 months) and extensive flushing of the substrate every few weeks to avoid the build-up of waste products and salts helps to keep the plants healthy and can lead to impressive specimen plants. However, producing seedlings to renew your stock, either by engaging a laboratory or doing it yourself, is a good policy to ensure its ongoing presence in a collection. It seems to me that, unlike most Paphiopedilum species living on cliffs and attaining many decades of age, many of those species that live as terrestrials on forest floors seem to have a rather short life cycle. They rarely form large clumps and might not live to an old age. Unlike their lithophytic and epiphytic cousins they probably dont hang on

    much and easily succumb to unfavorable conditions, to be quickly replaced by seedlings nearby (see also Kingdon-Wards observation of Paphiopedilum wardii cited below). Unfortunately, to my knowledge, no ecological research has been conducted yet on forest-floor-dwelling paphiopedilums to confirm or reject this theory.

    As previously noted, Paph. appletonianum is a rather variable species that has accumulated a number of synonyms. The horticultural trade generally encourages the continuance of these synonyms. It is obviously better to sell to a customer several different specimens of one true species under a couple of different names than just one or two plants. And collectors are always happy to have a broad range of different strains of a certain plant in their collection, better so if they happen to have different species names. Consequently, several of these synonyms will certainly linger on in horticulture. Aside from some really exceptionally dark clones of Paph. appletonianum, which apart from clonal names certainly dont deserve scientific recognition, there is a nearly albinistic (semialbum) form in cultivation with tiny dark spots on the petals, as well as a true album form, Paph. appletonianum f. album Asher ex Gruss 2000, which is an attractive and desirable plant.

    Paphiopedilum venustum (Wallich ex Sims) Pfitzer 1888

    Until 1820 the horticultural world in the West only knew about the cypripediums of Europe, Siberia and North America. But in 1816 the Danish surgeon and botanist Nathaniel Wallich, born in Copenhagen in 1786 and died in London in 1854, while working in India for the British East India Company, received a new type of slipper orchid from the mountains around Sylhet (today northernmost Bangladesh). He was the superintendent of the East India Companys Botanical Garden at Calcutta. Wallich named the plant Cypripedium venustum without publishing it, and had a collection of it in cultivation in Calcutta. In 1819 the nursery of Messrs. Whitley, Brames and Milne at Fulham (today part of South West London, England) imported living plants from the Botanic Garden in Calcutta. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, purchased a plant in November 1891 and flowered it soon after. A quick drawing was made while the flower still wasnt fully expanded, and the new species published by John Sims (1820). Today, Curtiss Botanical Magazine is

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  • the oldest horticultural magazine and still published by Kew; Sims was then the editor. In the text Sims explains that, after the drawing was made, the flower became upright with an erect dorsal sepal and outstretched petals. There must have been some excitement about this new, never-seen-before type of slipper orchid at Kew at least the premature drawing suggests this. The following year, 1821, saw the publication of the second species, Paphiopedilum insigne, from the mountains around Sylhet under the name Cypripedium insigne Wallich ex Lindley. Again Wallich had provided the specimen, this time sent by him personally to the Botanic Garden in Liverpool. William Cattley, made immortal in the orchid world by having the genus Cattleya named after him, received a specimen in flower from the botanical garden and made it available to John Lindley, who adopted the name informally given to it by Wallich and published it in his work on Cattleys plant collection, Collecteana Botanica.

    Paphiopedilum venustum, together with Paph. insigne, opened the door for European horticulturists to the exciting world of subtropical and tropical slipper orchids. Interestingly the two species do occur together in some localities, but Paph. venustum grows as a terrestrial at the base of cliffs and Paph. insigne grows lithophytically higher up on the cliff (Pradhan 1975). According to Udai C. Pradhan, at such localities, hybrid swarms can be observed. Ganesh Mani Pradhan (Pradhan 1974) had reported in detail about the distribution and general ecology of Paph. venustum in northeastern India and adjacent regions. According to him, the distribution center of the species is in the state of Meghalaya, just north of the border with Bangladesh, and south of Assam. According to Liu et al. (2009), the populations in China are found in Dingjie County (Dinggye), South Tibet and Motuo County (Medog), southeastern Tibet, where they grow in humus-rich sites in thickets and forest margins at altitudes from 3,600 to 5,250 feet (1,1001,600 m).

    Paphiopedilum venustum has vividly tessellated leaves; usually the bright green blotches among the dark green ones are bordered with whitish margins. This makes the mottling quite unique and is otherwise only seen in some specimens of Paph. wardii, and occasionally in a few Paphiopedilum sukhakulii (the latter not found in China). The flower is absolutely unmistakable. The venous pouch of near morbid charm is its hallmark. The

    spreading petals with their somewhat widened, round tips are usually more or less boldly spotted. From above the petal center toward the tips an interesting coloration in red tones from pinkish, over brownish pinkish to orange tones, or rarely even intensive dark raspberry tones, gives Paph. venustum a truly unique appearance. Although the whitish dorsal sepal with the green stripes is typical for most paphiopedilums in this section, and rather invariable in this species, the flowers otherwise do vary enormously. That makes Paph. venustum quite a rewarding collectors item, and having a dozen or two of different clones in all their variability on your bench is real fun. In the shared greenhouse of Harold Koopowitz

    [6] Paphiopedilum appletonianum can be found in wooded mountain regions in the southwest of Hainan.

    [7] A very good cultivar of the rare Paphiope-dilum appletonianum f. album Asher ex Gruss. Grower: Nejboscha Popow.

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    [8]themarkingsandcolorationofPaph.venustumareunique.Grower:michikomineta.

    [9]AnexcellentspecimenplantofPaph.ve-nustumf.measuresianumpresentedandawardedattheAllJapanOrchidsocietyannualshowintokyo2012.Grower:michikomineta.

    [10]AvividlyspottedPaph.venustum.Grower:haroldKoopowitz.

    [11]AveryintenselycoloredPaph.venus-tum.Grower:Noritohasegawa.

    [12]Paphiopedilum venustumAsahina.Grower:Katsuhiroroboshi.

    [13]duetotherichpatterns,thealbinisticform,Paph.venustumf.measuresianum,isquiteattractive.

    and Norito Hasegawa in California, I saw such a collection of different forms in the flowering season of Paph. venustum in late winter and early spring.

    It is not surprising that such variability has led to many names over the last two centuries. Most of these taxa have the rank of variety; however, two, Paphiopedilum pardinum (Rchb. f.) Pfitzer 1894 and Paphiopedilum qingyongii Z.J. Liu & L.J. Chen 2010, are synonyms at the species level. None of the taxa have scientific standing because they simply fall within the considerable variability of Paph. venustum. Only one form deserves recognition, Paph. venustum f. measuresianum (hort.) Braem 1998, which is the album form (incorrectly called Paph.

    venustum var. ablum horticulturally). Once rare, this attractive white, green and yellow form is now common in cultivation due to extensive line breeding. The rest of the remarkable variability within Paph. venustum opens a wide field for clonal names, which is important in judging and further breeding. Interesting brightly colored forms with lots of orange can be achieved by crossing certain dark forms with the album form. Growing Paph. venustum under cool conditions during the winter and intermediate to warm temperatures in the summer is relatively straightforward and doesnt seem to require any unusual precautions, at least not in our nursery in Chengdu, Sichuan.

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  • Paphiopedilum purpuratum (Lindley) Stein 1892

    This was actually the third paphiopedilum imported into Europe. John Lindley first published it in 1837 as a Cypripedium. He had to rely on the information given to him by the importer Joseph Knight (17781855), proprietor of Royal Exotic Nursery (later King & Perry), Chelsea. Knight, who in all likelihood had imported the plant from Hong Kong, stated it was from the Malayan archipelago. That he wasnt shy of cheating people becomes apparent when looking into the scandal his book on Proteaceae caused; it was titled On the cultivation of plants belonging to the natural order of Proteeae and published in 1809. In it a large number of Protea (sugarbush) species were published under Knights name but based on plant names the eminent Scottish botanist Robert Brown (17731858) introduced in a reading at the Linnean Society in London earlier in 1809. When Brown finally published the names in 1810 he was beaten for the authorship by Knight. While stealing authorship for plant names is quite unique and not very common today, giving false provenance for newly introduced plants, in particular orchids, is practiced today as it was in the past. During part of the importation of this new plant from Hong Kong, it was sold to the well-established Loddiges Nursery. Here a flowering plant was drawn by the botanical artist Sarah Ann Drake, who lived in the household of John Lindley. Drakes drawing formed the base for the publication of Cypripedium purpuratum in Edwards Botanical Register in 1837 by John Lindley, who only knew the drawing and didnt see any plant material. This drawing, printed alongside the description, became the lectotype of the species over 150 years later, because no authentic herbarium material could be deposited by Lindley. Because it was growing in the compact Crown Colony of Hong Kong, it didnt take long for botanists to find this showy slipper orchid. In 1851 Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach published it as Cypripedium sinicum, but soon realized that it was identical with Lindleys concept of Cyp. purpuratum. He subsequently accepted Lindleys taxon as the valid name. In 1892 Berthold Stein (18471899) transferred this, and many other species, into the newly established genus Paphiopedilum.

    It was long thought that Paph. purpuratum was endemic to Hong Kong and directly adjacent parts of the Chinese mainland. However, today we know that the species is distributed in a narrow line

    along coastal areas from Hong Kong to Guangxi in the west and farther into the hinterland of southeastern Yunnan and adjacent northern Vietnam. The species is also reported from Hainan Island, where it is rare. In 2001 I coauthored Paphiopedilum purpuratum var. hainanense F.Y. Liu et Perner, based on a collection made on Hainan. However, the material from Hainan does not differ sufficiently for scientific recognition from that of Paph. purpuratum from other locations and is therefore to be regarded as a synonym of Paph. purpuratum. Another synonym is Paphiopedilum aestivum Z.J. Liu et Y. Zhang 2001. Rudolf Jenny recently published a comprehensive treatment of Paph. purpuratum in botanical history (Jenny 2009).

    The habitat range of Paph. purpuratum is quite wide. It grows in the shade of forests and bamboo thickets, but also on exposed mountain slopes and in sunlit areas of forest floors (Barretto et al. 2011). It is found on bedrock consisting of sandstone, granite or limestone in friable loam, in leaf litter or in moss at altitudes from 100 to 4,900 feet (30-1,500 m). The plant usually grows as a terrestrial, but

    [14] Paphiopedilum purpuratum was the first slipper orchid collected in China.

    [15] The albinistic form of Paph. purpuratum is one of the rarest of slipper orchids.

    [16] The illustration of the type specimen, published as early as 1837 in Edwards Botanical Register, is the lectotype of Paph. purpuratum.

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  • can be also found as a lithophyte, and is rarely epiphytic in moss at the base of trees and shrubs. Though this summary of literature data seems to indicate a wide range of conditions at the roots of Paph. purpuratum, I would guess, from a plant ecologists point of view, that the species should usually be found at a root-zone pH of around 6, whether it is with limestone or sandstone bedrock. Like Paph. venustum it doesnt seem to be very complicated in cultivation and does well with the usual treatment for Chinese paphiopedilums, with cool winters and intermediate to warm summers, though, like Paph. appletonianum it is not always long-lived. It does best in open shade, i.e., under light conditions typically given to mottled-leafed paphiopedilums. In our greenhouse the plants flower in August. According to Liu et al. (2009) the populations in Yunnan and Guangxi flower from June to September and in Guangdong, Hainan and Hong Kong, from October to January. Generally the species expresses little variability and only one form can be justifiably regarded valid, Paph. purpuratum f. album Gruss et Koopowitz 2008. However, this album form is extremely rare and only one cultivar seems to have ever been found. Part of it was grown in Taiwan, another part in Japan. To the best of my knowledge this cultivar is extinct in cultivation, but seedlings have been produced by mating the regular form with the album cultivar. Most likely, all resulting seedlings will have fully pigmented flowers, but selfings or sibling crosses of these seedlings should result in a certain percentage of albinistic cultivars. It will take a few years before we will see whether the albinistic form can be recreated.

    Paphiopedilum wardii Summerhayes 1932

    The last of the great British plant hunters, Francis Kingdon-Ward (18851958) is memorialized in the name of this slipper orchid from northern Myanmar (Burma) and adjacent China. In 1911 Kingdon-Ward discovered a Cypripedium above the Salween River (Nu Jiang) in southeastern Tibet, in the area where Tibet and Yunnan border Myanmar. This plant was named Cypripedium wardii by Rolfe in 1913. In 1931 he managed to introduce a different slipper orchid, Paphiopedilum wardii, into cultivation in England. He had collected it on January 1, 1931 (date on the