The Newsletter of the

Amherst Orchid SocietyAn affiliate of the American Orchid Society

Amherst Orchid Society Meeting October 18, 2015 Maryanne Laukaitis !

October’s meeting is the usual time to renew membership. So, if you did not attend, send your dues to Steve Rear-don! (See back of the newsletter for contact information.) Also, new this year is the requirement that your dues be paid by October 31st in order to receive a free “membership” plant. You must be present at the November meeting to choose a plant. !Approximately three dozen people attended the October meeting, including a new couple who had been meaning to get to a society meeting for about a year. There could have been more plants on the show table, but the Con-necticut Orchid Society show was the same weekend. Roger West was in Connecticut taking the Amherst display down. !President Joe put out a call for blooming plants for the Massachusetts Orchid Society show, which is November 6 to 8th. The location changed from Tower Hill Botanic Garden to Mahoney’s Garden Center in Winchester, MA. Joe emphasized that our society should strive to display at other society’s shows so that they reciprocate by dis-playing at our show in February. At the same time he asked for volunteers to learn how to arrange displays, bring plants to the shows and take down the displays. Joe has devoted much time to this himself, as well as Roger. They would greatly appreciate help, so contact Joe if you’d like to volunteer.

Note the number of blue, red, and yellow ribbons on our display for the Mass Orchid Show. (Photo by Donna Petitt)

Volume 23, Issue 11! ! ! ! ! ! ! November 2015!

Greater Whorled Pogonia

Volume 23, Issue 11 Page !2!The society has a Facebook page, but there is need for a website with domain name of our own. (The old website “Larch Hill Orchids” was hosted by Bill Hutchinson, so, like dear Bill, is no longer extant.) Kathy Puckett has done research on the best deal to purchase a domain name, and be hosted on a server. A vote was taken to appro-

The Board of Directors has determined that the by-laws (from 1998) need updating, so have asked a committee to be formed to review and make recommendations. Volunteers may contact Lani Norman (contact information on back page). !There will be a seat on the Board of Directors coming to term. If anyone would like to serve on the Board, contact Marc Gray or President Joe to be nominated. At this point terms are 2 years, but may be changed to 3 years if by-laws are updated. !Keith Tibbetts reported that speakers have been lined up for most meetings, but March does not yet have one. Contact Keith if you have a suggestion. May 2016 will feature Thomas Mirenda, orchid specialist at the Smithson-ian Institution. Preparation for our society’s Annual Show is in progress. Trophy pots are on order, and Marc asks for sponsors to contribute to their purchase. !Steve Steiner gave a talk on growing Restrepias, which was very interesting. They are considered to be miniatures, usually grow cool, shady and at high altitudes from Southern Mexico into South America. Oddly, the floral seg-ment that we think is the lip, is really two sepals fused together. A smaller structure on top of that false lip segment is the true lip, and this type of anatomy is diagnostic for the genus. !Culture includes growing in loose sphagnum moss or mixtures which include perlite and tree fern. Watering is best done with rainwater or reverse osmosis water as Restrepias dislike salt buildup, which can cause spotting on the leaves. Examples from the show table were compared. Bill Benner says he stores rainwater in gallon jugs in his dark basement – darkness discourages growth of algae. Marc Gray recommends a pot in pot arrangement where damp sphagnum moss between the two pots aids in keeping the Restrepias cool. !Members brought a nice variety of blooming plants for the show table, from micro-minis to Marge Tanguay’s four foot tall spike on Paph. Sorcerer’s Apprentice. (Good job, Marge!)

!!Restrepia Contorta. Photo by orchidspecies.com. !!!!!!!!!

priate up to $250 per year toward the new website. Karen Steward volunteered to enter information on the website.

Volume 23, Issue 11 Page !3

Steve Steiner

them.

best. The flowers are up to a foot across and a well grown plant will have 5 – 6 flowers on a 2 foot inflorescence open all at the same time. The plants are very large and until recently, required at least 5 growths before the plant may begin to flower. That would take 10 - 20 years from seed. Breeders have selected plants that will bloom on 1 – 2 growths recently, but it still takes over 5 years from seed. The primary hybrids (a cross between 2 species) are still large plants but usually smaller than Paph.

tions. I find most Paph. species and primary hybrids are an acquired taste, but these always elicit oos and ahs (and isn’t that why you grow orchids). As most of you know, I tend to grow mainly small plants, but these plants are well worth the space, even if they do not bloom every year. They tend to require more light than most other Paphs. The plants should be repotted at least every 2 years and would probably do better if repotted yearly. They tolerate my cool winter temperatures but the leaves would be “cleaner” if I kept it a little warmer.

chased from Robert Lester who sold orchids in a townhouse in New York’s Greenwich Village. I still have Paph.

delanati) and Dolgoldii ( x armeniacum) which never flower for me.

Photo by Weng Lim on orchids.wikia.com

sometimes easier to flower. If available, I always try to get blooming size plants, in spike even better. At least you know someone was able to get the plant to bloom.

I brought in some Paph. Rothschildianum hybrids for last month’s plant sale and few people seemed to know about

Any plant named after the Rothschild family tends to be spectacular and Paphiopedilum rothschildianum may be the

Rothschildianum and the flowers are still spectacular. They tend to be easier to flower with some notable excep-

Transvaal (rothschildianum x chamberlianum). It flowers regularly but not quite every year. I also grow Delrosii (x

I purchased my first rothschildianum hybrid around 40 years ago when I was growing under lights. It was pur-

Keep an eye out for rothschildianum hybrids as well as Paph kolopakingii hybrids which are also spectacular and

Paphiopedilum Rothschildianum Hybrids

Volume 23, Issue 11 Page !4

October 2015 Show Table !!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Cymbidium Golden Elf ‘Sundust’, Bill Benner Prosthechea cochleata, Stephen LaValley !!!

Vanda falcata 'Red' x Aerides odorata ‘Pink’, Kathy Puckett Dendrobium laevifolium, Liz Marinelli

Volume 23, Issue 11 Page !5 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zygoseplum Louisendorf grex 'Rein Clown’, George Collison Stenoglottis fimbriata, Boots and Bob Walker ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Habenaria Regnieri, Marc Gray Paphiopedilum Tonsuk, Steve Reardon !

Volume 23, Issue 11 Page !6 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phragmipedium Sorcerer's Apprentice, Marge Tanguay Odontoglossum NOID, Maryanne Laukaitis

!Paphiopedilum Wossner Kolarmi, Steve Steiner Cattleya amethystoglossa, Keith Tibbetts

Volume 23, Issue 11 Page !7Show Table October 2015 !!!

Maryanne Laukaitis George Collison Odontoglossum NOID Wilsonara Blazing Lustre Cattleya Summer Spot 'Carmela' Slc Verla Lee 'Limelight' Stenoglottis longifolia Wilsonara Trader Joes #6 Oncidium Heavenly Scent Zygoseplum Louisendorf grex 'Rein Clown' Steve Steiner Restrepia brachypus Marc Gray Scaphosepalum swertifolium Lepanthes calodictyon x telipogoniflora Scaphosepalum gibberosa Lepanthes tentaculata Scaphosepalum species Platystele reflexa Paphiopedilum Wossner Kolarmi Lepanthes telipogoniflora Restrepia striata 'Waynes' Habenaria Regnieri Dendrobium laevifolium Habenaria Regnieri Restrepia cuprea Doritaenopsis Kenneth Schubert 'A06255' Restrepia cuprea Lycaste Cherish x Wild Sun Vanda falcata 'Kisuzume' !Steve Reardon Kathy Puckett Restrepia striata 'Waynes' Cymbidium ensiflolium 'Jinzuitianxiangsu' Restrepia pelyx Octomeria concolor Restrepia xanthophtalma Cattleya perrinii Restrepia trichoglossa Vanda falcata 'Red' x Aerides odorata 'Pink' Pleurothallis allenii Paphiopedilum Tonsuk Boots and Bob Walker Stenoglottis fimbriata Liz Marinelli Masdevallia Angel Heart Bill Benner Dendrobium laevifolium Coelogyne ovalis Cymbidium Golden Elf 'Sundust' Stephen LaValley Restrepia cuprea Prosthechea cochleata Vanda Lou Sneary 'Blue Moon' Phalaenopsis violacea coerules Tom McCurry Karen Steward Oberonia setigera Oncidum NOID Phalaenopsis Connie Moody Leilani and Harold Norman Marge Tanguay Miltoniopsis Cotton Candy Phragmipedium Sorcerer's Apprentice Phragmipedium Cardinale Keith Tibbetts Phragmipedium Hanne PoPow Dendrobium chrysanthum Rhyncholaeliocattleya (Samba Gift x Hawaiian Lightning) Bratonia Charles M. Fitch Rhyncholaeliocattleya Marcella Koss Phragmipedium bessae Rhyncholaeliocattleya Color Magic Cattleya Misty Girl Cattleya amethystoglossa !!!!!!!!!!!

Upcoming Events!

names starting with U, V, W, X, Y, and Z, please bring a dish to share. !1st Sat of each month, 12pm – Northeast Regional AOS Judging, Tower Hill, Boylston, Ma. !

Next meeting is November 15, 2015, at the Munson Memorial Library at 2 pm. Those with last