April 2008 - Volume 5 - Number 4 Published by the South Florida Orchid Society

South Florida OrchidSociety Orchid Auction

South Florida Orchid Society presents our Annual Orchid Auction.

We have orchids from all over the world

Wednesday, April 16, 2008Preview 7:30 PM

Auction begins at 8:00 PMVisa & MasterCard accepted

Conducted by Sunset Auction Companyat the Fire Fighters’ Memorial Building

8000 NW 21 St., Miami, FL 33122For more information call (305-255-3656)

**All members are requested to bring plants to donate to the Auction. **

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President's Message AUCTION TIME My favorite time of year, Spring, is here! Ilove to walk through our garden and shadehouses and see which flowers have just opened.Of course, I also notice all the cattleyas beggingto be repotted…. Speaking of repotting, pleasebring some divisions of your plants to our auc-tion this month. If you can't attend the auctionbut would like to donate some orchids, call meand I will arrange to have them picked up. Many members have said they want to par-ticipate in a SFOS orchid safari but we needplaces to go to! If you would consider puttingyour orchid growing area on our "tour", pleaselet me know. We need to do this before theweather gets hot or perhaps wait until Fall. At the March Board Meeting, it was my honorto present Marlene Clark with the DistinguishedService award, which has not been given since1994. Marlene has done so much for the SouthFlorida Orchid Society over the past 20 years;she has volunteered to serve on and/or chairnumerous committees and has been a boardmember for several years. Thank you, Marlene,and thanks also to your husband Charlie anddaughter Debbie who have also helped SFOS inso many ways.

Hope to see you at the auction!

Sandy

Email: QuestOrchid@bellsouth.net

April at South Florida Orchid Society isAUCTION TIME! We will not have a guestspeaker, raffle or orchid clinic this month. In-stead, we offer you a wonderful opportunity topurchase fabulous plants from supporting donorsat unbelievable prices. We've collected wonderful donations fromvarious show vendors and more are coming in.If you'd like to donate plants, please contact meat786-385-2616. Once again professional auctioneer, BryanKinsley, of Sunset Auction Co, will conduct ourauction. It promises to be an entertainingevening of fun. Support your society and build your orchidcollection by bringing your friends, neighborsand checkbooks. Credit cards will also be ac-cepted.

Sincerely,

Carol De BiaseVice President/Program Chairman

OFE Orchid Supplies

EARTH DAY TENT SALE

April 19 and 20.

Register to Win a$250.00 Gift Certificate

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Report of Nominating Committee for 2008-2009

The duly constituted Nominating Committee ofthe South Florida Orchid Society met onMarch19, 2008 at the Firefighters MemorialBuilding. Present were the full committee, con-sisting of Dorothy Bennett (Chair), MichaelO’Dea, Sally Taylor and Joan Viggiani.

By unanimous agreement, the committee (withnominees and spouses abstaining when appro-priate) selected the following slate for theSociety’s 2008-2009 year, all of whom haveagreed to serve in these offices if elected by themembership:

President Sandra SchultzFirst Vice President Carol De BiaseSecond Vice President Judy MezeySecretary Maria WoodTreasurer Dorothy BennettDirector, term expiring 2011 Richard BrandonDirector, term expiring 2011 Julie RosenbergDirector, term expiring 2011 Tony Viggiani

Respectfully submitted,Dorothy BennettChair, 2008-2009 Nominating Committee

NEW SLATE OF OFFICERSA sand glass indicates that this title isnot in stock at our bookstore, eitherbecause we are waiting for our orderdelivery, or because we don’t keep itin stock and place special orders forcustomers. Please contact us for

more accurate information.

561-404-2000

LINDENIA (ENGLISH VER-SION) 5 VOLUMES LINDEN, J.Category Famous botanists orchidworks Publisher NaturaliaParution1992 Format 2300 pages

,813 illustrations

Description:

Regular price: 1,664.00$ - Promotion: 730$

Not eligible to our special policy shipping offer.

On special order only.

The monumental work in the history of literature onorchids was printed in Belgium by the Lindens in theform of a monthly review between 1885 and 1906 inFrench and also between 1891 and 1898 in English.This was the “Belle Epoque” for orchis enthousiasts.The 814 plates contained are more than a mere recordof all that was known about botanical orchids - theyform a veritable encyclopaedia.The drawings are ofexceptional quality and delicaty, depicting speciesgathered in tropical forests and raised in the green-houses of great collectors. Each plate is accompa-nied by Latin assignment of the species together withbibliographical references. There follows a descrip-tion of the plant, where it was dicsovered, acclima-tized, distributed throughout the world and adviceson how to grow it.Bound in 5 volumes with a gold-stamped cloth binding and a colour cover this item isa collector’s object for both, orchid and book artenthousiasts.SFOS SPEAKERS DAY 2008

SFOS will host its annual Speakers Day on Sun-day, October 5, 2008 at Signature Gardens,12725 S.W. 122 Avenue, Miami, FL. We have awonderful panel of highly respected speakerspresenting an enjoyable and educational pro-gram. Speakers Day also includes AOS Judg-ing and SFOS Medal Judging. Plants for judg-ing must be registered by 10:00 A.M. and can bepicked up at 12:00 P.M. Speakers’ Day has AOSapproval for judging seminar credits as well.Several of our speakers will have plants to selland sales will be open only to registered semi-nar participants. This year’s speakers are:

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CATTLEYA SPECIALTIES

17899 S.W. 280th Street • Homestead, FL 33031-3310U.S.A.

Tel: (305) 248-6557Fax: (305) 248-9766

Web: www.amazoniaorchids.comE-mail: sales@amazoniaorchids.com

Continued on page 5

Roberto Agnes started growing orchids whileliving in South Africa at the age of 11. In 1984he moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where he con-tinued to expand his collection and soon afterparticipated in founding of the Rio Orchid Soci-ety - OrquidaRio. Roberto was involved in run-ning the judging school and was the editor ofthe orchid magazine for several years. Robertoalso helped tender the bid for the WOC whichwas held in Rio de Janeiro in 1996 where he wasChairman of Judges. Roberto is a partner ofAranda Orquídeas. They are actively involvedin the preservation of species in their laboratory.They have produced several improved strains oftheir various Cattleya and Laelia species. Thetitle of Roberto’s program is “Brazilian Cattleyaand Laelia Species and Their Hybrids”. Robertowill be bringing plants to sell.

Ron McHatton, Ph.D. is a chemist by trainingand is currently the AOS Director of Educationand Regional Operations. Prior to that positionhe was Apopka production manager for Kerry’sBromeliad Nursery, possibly the largest whole-sale orchid nursery in the United States. Inaddition to his professional position, Ron is anaccredited American Orchid Society Judge andhe has also been a long-time supporter of theOrchid Digest. The title of Ron’s talk is “TheOrchid World in Microcosm – Masdevallia andPleurothallis”. This lecture will examine a sliceof this diversity along with a discussion of someof the newest taxonomic changes and culturalinformation for those preferring warmer condi-tions.Glen Decker began growing orchids at the ageof 15 and holds the degree of Associate in Ap-plied Science in Ornamental Horticulture. Glenis the owner of Piping Rock Orchids in Galway,New York. He was the previous chair of theAmerican Orchid Society's Publications Commit-tee and is presently a Director of the Orchid Di-gest Corporation. He has appeared in MarthaStewart's Better Living Magazine and on thePBS TV special "Orchid Delirium". He recentlyrewrote the Slipper section of the BrooklynBotanic Garden's "The Best Orchids for Indoors"and was the technical editor for the "Orchids forDummies" book. The title of Glen’s program is“PHRAGMIPEDIUMS - Past to the Present”.This is a complete look at hybridization, past to

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the present and what we could expect in the fu-ture. Glen will be bringing plants to sell.

Ruben P. Sauleda, Ph.D. has been growingorchids since the age of 12. He started the fam-ily business in 1962, Ruben In Orchids. His maininterest is hybridizing the unusual, specializingin Encyclia and Schomburgkia hybrids. In ad-dition he propagates many species from seed,especially Florida Natives. Dr. Sauleda with hiswife, Claudia, moved three years ago to theRedlands after 45 years in the Kendall area. Dr.Sauleda has a Masters Degree in Orchid Ecol-ogy and Taxonomy from Florida Atlantic Uni-versity and a Ph.D. in Orchid Taxonomy fromthe University of South Florida. He has writtenseveral books and has published dozens of pa-pers in scientific journals. He was Chairman ofEducation for the 19th World Orchid Conferenceas well as a speaker. The title of Ruben’s pro-gram is “The Genus Psychilis, A Little KnownCaribbean Group.” Ruben will have plants forsale.

Howard Ginsberg is an accredited AOS judgeand head of the Montreal Judging Centre. Hebegan growing orchids in 1977. He has spokento orchid societies across North America,throughout New Zealand, Australia and hasbeen a featured speaker in AOS judges trainingat several centers. Howard has also been a fea-tured speaker at AOS Trustees meetings andwas a featured speaker at the 18th WOC inDijon, France. He is the most recent winner ofthe Ernest Hetherington Award for an articleon Sc. Beaufort. The title of Howard’s talk is“Golden Peoker, Golden Parent”. Howard willbe bringing plants to sell.

Speakers Day Schedule:8:00 - 9:00 Breakfast, plant registration (forjudging), plant sales open9:00 - 10:00 Roberto Agnes10:00 - 11:00Ron McHatton11:00 - 12:00AOS Judging and panel discussion,plant sales open12:00 - 1:00 Lunch1:00 - 2:00 Glen Decker2:00 - 3:00 Ruben Sauleda3:00 - 4:00 Howard Ginsberg4:00 - 5:00 Plant sales open

Continued on next column

Miniature LaeliasThe genus Laelia has a number of species whichqualify as miniatures. These little plants are mostlyrupicolous (growing on rocks) and most are fromBrazil. The flowers range from yellow to shades ofpurple to white and either are star-shaped or some-what like a Cattleya. Most of them flower in the lat-ter part of the year, summer through the winter. Ifyou are unable to find the plants listed under Laelia,check out the genus Sophronitis. Recently, many ofthe Brazilian Laelias have been moved to theSophronitis genus, but most vendors will still recog-nize the old names.

Laelias are considered to be part of the Cattleya Al-liance and in many ways they are similar. The flow-ers can be Cattleya shaped and they can be crossedto make many of the smaller hybrids which are verypopular today. Laeliacattleya, abbreviated Lc, andSophrolaeliacattleya, abbreviated Slc, are among thefastest growing hybrids in the alliance.

For this discussion I’ve picked out six of the bestminiatures, two each of yellow, purple and white.For yellow flowers, consider Laelia itambana andLaelia bradei. The flowers on both these little plantsare bright yellow and well displayed on the plants.They are found only in Brazil and are both rock grow-ing. They need extremely good drainage and need todry out between waterings.

There are a number of purple Laelias so I pickedwhat I consider to be the best of the miniatures. Thetype species for the genus Laelia speciosa with lovelyorchid colored flowers with a white striped lip. I be-lieve this is my favorite of all with the lovely color-

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* Plant sales area will also be open during breaksand between speakers

Tickets for Speakers Day are $40.00 per person.The price includes a continental breakfast andcold buffet lunch. This is one of the major orchidevents held annually in South Florida! Be sureto register early since tickets are limited andsold on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticketsare not available at the door. To register, pleasesend your check and the order form, located onthe last page, to the SFOS office: 10801 S.W.124 St., Miami, FL 33176. For more informa-tion call (305) 255-3656.

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Mascarpone and Dark ChocolateCream in White Chocolate Cups

8 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped1 cup whipping cream3 tablespoons sugar8 ounces mascarpone cheese1 teaspoon grated orange peel1/4 teaspoon vanilla extractWhite chocolate curls, for garnish

Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners. Melt the whitechocolate in top of double boiler over simmering wa-ter, stirring until smooth. Spoon 1 tablespoon meltedchocolate into each paper liner. Using a pastry brush,coat the chocolate evenly over the bottom and up thesides of the liners. Freeze until the chocolate is firm,about 30 minutes. Remelt the white chocolate in thebowl. Spoon 1 tablespoon into each cup and brush overthe bottom and up the sides, forming a second coat.Freeze until completely set, about 1 hour. Melt thebittersweet chocolate in top of a clean double boilerover simmering water, stirring until smooth. At thispoint, set aside to cool completely. Using an electricmixer, beat the cream and sugar in a large bowl untilsoft peaks form. Set the whipped cream aside. Usingan electric mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese, meltedbittersweet chocolate, orange peel, and vanilla in alarge bowl just until smooth and glossy, about 30 sec-onds (do not overmix). Fold the whipped cream intothe chocolate mixture in 2 batches. Transfer the mousseto a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the mousseinto the white chocolate cups. Sprinkle the whitechocolate curls over the mousse and serve immediately,or cover and refrigerate overnight, and then let standat room temperature 1 hour before serving.

ing and contrast. This plant is from Mexico where itgrows in extremely dry conditions so it needs to bekept dry and given a winter rest to encourage it tobloom. Laelia lilliputana is the smallest Laelia. Ithas a rose/purple flower held up over tiny leaves --the whole plant is less than an inch tall.

The two white species are Laelia fournieri and Laeliareginae. L. fourneri is a cool growing species with astar-shaped flower originally from Brazil. The flowerhas a crystalline appearance and is truly lovely. L.reginae has 2 to six flowers and a bright yellow lipwhich provides a nice contrast with the white. ByBellaOnline's Orchids Editor, Susan Taylor

Dendrobiumchrysotoxum

The Dai cultural minor-ity of Yunnan, SouthernChina, are flower lov-

ing peoples. Their favorite is Dendrobium chrysotoxumwhich they plant on the roofs of their houses. Therethey bloom in the Buddhist orange colour of their reli-gion exactly during the Dai water splashing festival inApril.

This is one of the hardiest species of orchids and it cantolerate a very wide range of climatic conditions. Giveit half a year of rain and half a year of drought, bothwith maximum sunshine, and it will blossom regularly.The flowers stay for about 1 month.

D e n d r o b i u maphyllum

A shower of thousand and oneflowers is cascading down rainforest tress in Xishuangbannawhen this Dendrobium spe-cies opens its fragrant blos-soms.If you intend to keep this or-

chid in your home, it requires a distinct dry season dur-ing winter where temperatures can be low and the plantlooks very odd without leafs. Be patient: 1001 flowerswill suddenly open in spring. After flowering, moreshoots will grow and now you can also see leafs.We know of one plant that is growing inside a family'syard and where grandpa says it has been there alreadywhen he was a child. When it flowers its scent andbeauty are filling the yardThis is surely a species living with you all through yourlife - and it is easy to keep.

Ruben in Orchids will be having anInventory Reduction Sale

with wholesale priceson April 19 and 20

for South Florida Orchid Societyfriends and family.

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7:30 pm - Preview of Rafflr Plants8:00 pm - Raffle Begins

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SFOS Meeting ScheduleWednesday, April 16, 2008

South Florida Orchid Society10801 S.W. 124 StreetMiami, Florida 33176

Dated Material-Do Not DelayName ________________________________ AOS Judging Center & Status ____________________________

Please reserve ________ seats @ $40.00 Total amount enclosed: ____________

Address to mail tickets: _________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Please return this form along with your check to: SFOS, 10801 S.W. 124 St., Miami, FL 33176.

Speakers Day Registration Form