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NEWSLETTER

THE SPECIES ORCHID SOCIETY OF WA (INC.)

http://members.iinet.net.au/~emntee/species Newsletter.htm

VOLUME 23 · NO 6 · NOVEMBER 2011

CULTURAL AWARDOctober 2011: Ada keilianaAnne and Geoff

Contents2 Minutes from the General

Meeting3 Notes from your Committee4 Noticeboard

5 Monthly plant6 Plants displayed in October8 Schomburgkias – or are they

Laelias? Part II11 About us

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MINUTES OF THE GENERAL MEETING11 October 2011, 7.50pm

Members Present: 32 as per the registerVisitors: Laura, Enid, Jo & SueNew Member: Eric TappingApologies: Mich, Tom & Pat, Chris C, PhilMinutes of the previous meeting:

Acceptance moved: Trevor, Seconded: Ian BBusiness arising from the minutes: NilFinancial Report: The Financial Reportwas tabled by Sandra, and the currentbalance is $3715.15. No. 2 A/C$1811.54. Moved: Gordon, Seconded: KenCorrespondence:

Inwards:• Don Franzen – renewal of membership• John Wells – renewal of membership(2 years)

• Club NewslettersOutwards:• Phone call to City of Belmont checkingon resolution to lighting problem in carpark.

• Letter to City of Belmont advising thatthe car park lighting problem wasongoing.

General Business:

• Mavis has bookings for Home Visits forevery month of 2012

• Thanks were extended to Peter &Shirley for hosting the SeptemberHome Visit

• Thank you to Graham & Margaret forspeaking personally to COB staffregarding the ongoing problem withthe car park lighting and the roller doorin the kitchen. No action on eitherproblem so a letter has been sent tothe CEO of COB.

• Mich has placed the order for mountedplants of Sarc. falcatus & Den.aemulum for future monthly clubplants.

• A speaker from Neutrog Fertilisers hasbeen booked for the Novembermeeting.

• There will be an auction of plants atthe home of the late Henry Eaton, 37 Rossmoyne Dr. Rossmoyne at 9.30 am on Sunday 23rd October

• The No. 2 account was discussed bythe Committee at their last meetingand the recommendations werepresented to the members present.

Option 1 was that the account is left as itis until the 2012 AOC Conferencewhere there will be the opportunity topurchase plants from overseas vendorsas well as ES vendors. The advantagesof this course of action is that therewill be no quarantine issues or thestress of air travel for the plants, plusthe opportunity of pre-ordering. Thiswas accepted by those present.

Option 2 was for the proceeds of resalefor these plants to be returned to our No. 1 account. This option was alsoaccepted.

• A break was then taken to place bidson the Silent Auction items.

• Bids were collated while the plantdescription took place.

Ken Jones Culture Award: Ada keilianagrown by Anne & Geoff

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• The new edition (3rd) of Hoffman &Brown Orchids of WA is now available.A copy will be purchased for thelibrary, as well as Orchids of Brazil.Anyone who is interested in obtaining a copy of either for themselves, pleasesee Mich. She is looking in to pricesfor buying multiple copies.

• Special raffle: Ansellia africana andMaxillaria sp. (white)

• At the November GM there will be aspeaker from Neutrog Fertilizers. Eachmember present will receive acomplimentary pack of Neutrogproducts which are valued at $25 each.

• Mich and Alastair will host the XmasSocial on 1st Jan at their place. Detailson page 4.

• If you haven’t ordered your new badgeyet, please see Mich. The cost forbadges with a magnetic clip is $13.50,and with pin is $11.50.• Don’t forget the parking – pleaseensure that you park your car in thebitumen parking area wheneverpossible as it will avoid a fine!

President: Adrian Vice President: GrahamSecretary: Maxine Godbeer2195 Hidden Valley Rd, Parkerville 6081Treasurer: Sandra Editor: Ken Jones204 Park Street, Henley Brook 6055Phone: 9296 1765 e-mail: kcjones@tpg.com.auCommittee:ChrisMicheleLeeSharonTonyMavisTrevorLife Members:Barry (deceased)Gordon Joan & Ted (deceased) Neville Noel & Eva

NOTES FROM yOUR COMMITTEE

Raffle Winners: No raffle was conducteddue to the Silent auction taking placeBadge Prize winner: LeeThe successful bids of the silent Auction

were read out.The meeting closed at.9:15 pmMembers then adjourned for supper

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N O T I C E B O A R DFORTH-COMINGEVENTS

The rest of this year:

Tuesday 8 NovemberDeliver your cut flowers for the 20th AOCConference, Singapore:Ezi Gro Orchid Nursery, Evandale Road, DarchBetween 9.30am and 10.30am

End of November: No home visit

13 December: Xmas Party. Do remember tobring a plant to swap.

1 January 2012

Chat and eat at Mich and Alastair’s at 66 Dalry Road, Darlington.From 4pm onwards till late.Please bring a dessert or cake. Buffet dinner will be provided as wellas teas and coffees.Please also bring your own favourite tipple to herald the New Year. We will supply a bathtub of ice.You will probably need to bring a chairand whatever else you need to keep cool.

Just a note of apology for mistakes and

omissions...

You may have noticed that this editio

n of the

Newsletter is not quite what y

ou are familiar with.

Ken and Chris are away at the

moment, and I have

volunteered to produce this an

d next month’s edition

of the Newsletter. Ken left me his articles on

Schomburgkias for this and next month’s, so I hav

e

no claim to being erudite on the genus

and genius.

Thank you all, for your patienc

e and indulgence, and

I now appreciate even more what a job

Ken, Chris

and Tony do for us every month.

mich

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MONTHLy PLANT

Pomatocalpa spicata

Country of origin: Widespread in SE Asia

Description: Small sized, warm to hotgrowing epiphyte also know as the spikedshape Pomatocalpa.

Difficulty: Depends on who you talk to...

Cost: $10

This plant has been kindly grown byTony and Mavis since March.

This genus, related to Cleisostoma,comprises about 40 species that rangefrom Burma to the Pacific islands. Thename is derived from the Greek ‘poma’meaning ‘cover’ or ‘lip’, and ‘kalpa’, a‘jar’ or ‘pitcher’, referring to the shape ofthe labellum.

They grow as monopodial epiphytes or,occasionally, lithophytes at mostly lowaltitudes. This species grow in hot,steamy lowlands.

The leaves are straplike and the simpleor branched inflorescences are eithererect or pendulous. Pomatocalpa spicatahas pendulous inflorescences as seen inthe photograph.

Most of the species prefer bright light.The larger plants grow best in pots orbaskets; the smaller ones are best onslabs including this species.

Constant high humidity and heavywatering during the warmer months arerecommended.

Flowering is usually in spring. There areusually a few pendulous inflorescenceswith numerous densely packed flowers,each 6mm across. They openprogressively, with about ten open at anyone time.

However, do talk with Tony and Mavis asthey have achieved the best conditionsfor growing them through the winter.

Source: Botanica’s Pocket Orchids

http://www.flickr.com/photos/b_inxee/3480091409/ Photograph by b. inxee

Cymbidium lowianumCourtney and Val

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PLANTS DISPLAYE

Graham and Margaret Pterostylis aff. picta

Gordon Dendrobium jonesii var. magnificumPhaius tankervilleaRenanthera mutatina

Ken and Chris Cattleya amethystaglossaDendrobium nobile var. virginalisDendrobium palpebraePhysosiphon tubatus

Adrian and Deana Aerangis citrataRhynchostylis gigantea var. viraphrandii

Peter and Shirley Phalaenopsis aphroditePhalaenopsis equestrisPhalaenopsis philippinensisPhalaenopsis rosenstromii

Courtney and Val Cattleya intermedia var. amethystinaCymbidium lowianum

Phalaenopsis parishiiTony and Mavis

Paphiopedilum hirsutissimumGordon

Arpophyllum giganteanAnne and Geoff

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Anne and Geoff Ada keilianaAngraecum sp.Arpophyllum giganteanDendrobium linguiforme

VictorPaphiopedilum hirsutissimum

Noël and EvaCoilostylis falcata

Tony and Mavis Phalaenopsis amabilisPhalaenopsis micholitziiPhalaenopsis parishiiPhalaenopsis tetraspis var. alba

Coilostylis falcataNoel and Eva

Photography by Tony

ED OCTOBER 2011

Aerangis citrataAdrian

Dendrobium linguiformePeter and Shirley

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SCHOMBURGkIA - OR ARE THEy LAELIAS? PART II

Last month, I finished part one of thisarticle with a brief description ofSchomburgkia leudemanniana (in error Ireferred to this species as S.leudemannia). The following photo fromhttp://orchidorama.free.fr/04-janvier/Schomburgkia%20lueddemanniana04.jpg shows this species’ flowerform.

While conducting further research on thecomplex genus, I discovered photos ofother species not listed in Kew’spublication of orchid species, althoughsome are shown as synonyms. Some ofthese are now classified asMyrmecophila and I will cover these inpart four. What my further researchshowed is that there is much confusionabout the members of this genus andthose now in Myrmecophila. In asubmission to a discussion forum in2007, Timo takes the time to identify theduplications and synonyms, and asksother readers to help him compile amore definitive list. Sadly, that does not

seem to have been achieved by eitherenthusiasts or professionals, and I wasunable to resolve the confusing range ofsynonyms and popular names from theon-line material available to me.However, I will press on and cover thisinteresting group of plants as best I can.

Schomburgkia lyonsii Lindl. from Cubaand Jamaica grows on exposed rocks oras an epiphyte on rough-barked trees indry upland forests and valleys, generallywith southern exposure from sea level to800 meters in elevation. This high lightorchid is another robust species withflower racemes up to 1.5 m tall,sometimes arching carrying a head of upto 25 short-lived flowers.

Found only in Jamaica and Cuba islandsfrom 20º to 18º north latitude.

The flowers are short lasting, and it isthe only member of the genus with non-resupinate flowers (lip on upper topposition). The petals, sepals and lip arewhite with purple dots while the bordermay have a yellowish colour. They growat low altitude up to 800m and are oftenin full sun. Some totally alba forms havebeen found, and are named varimmaculate or ‘immaculata’.

The following photos fromhttp://www.orchidspecies.com/schomlyonsii.htm shows the upside-downclustered flower of this species.

In their natural habitat, these plants are

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anchored by thick strong roots that holdthe 60cm pseudobulbs firmly to itschosen mount. The following photo givessome indication of the robust nature ofthis species.

Schomburgkia marginata (synonymouswith Schomburgkia crispa, the typespecies) is also found in Venezuela,Surinam, Guyana, French Guyana,Northern Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador. Itis also referred to as Schomburgkiamarginata var. immarginata, but is nowmore correctly Laelia marginata.

Schomburgkia moyobambae Schltr. fromBolivia and Peru that is occasionallyseen in collections is another robust,large growing species. Charles andMargaret Baker provide some usefulhabitat information. Apparently, thisspecies was discovered in Peru nearMoyobamba. They say that Kennedy in1979 reported finding this species andSchomburgkia weberbauerana not farfrom Moyobamba. However, they say (asI have found), information about thisgenus available from the on-line world isscant. However, as it was reported inassociation with Schomburgkiaweberbauerana which grows atmoderate altitude of 1300 – 1800 m), itcan be reasonably assumed thatSchomburgkia moyobambae comes froma similar warm-hot habitat.

Moyobamba is the major city in the SanMartín Region in northern Peru. It iscalled “Santiago of eight valleys ofMoyobamba” or “Maynas capital”, andhad a population approximately 70,000inhabitants in 2009. Apparently, some3,500 species of orchids are found in theregion native to the area leading toMoyobamba being known as The City ofOrchids. Moyobamba overlooks the MayoRiver at an altitude of 860m above sealevel in the humid, tropical region knownas the Ceja de selva. It has a mildsubtropical climate with a temperatureranging between 18ºC and 28ºC with anaverage temperature of 24ºC. The

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SCHOMBURGkIA - OR ARE THEy LAELIAS? PART II CONTINUED

weather is pretty dry from May toDecember and pretty wet from Januaryto April.

The following photo fromhttp://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18079 shows the typicalcluster of flowers that the post says wasnearly 2m tall.

Schomburgkia schultzei Schltr. fromColombia is the next species listed byKew; however there seems to bedisagreement about where this speciescomes from. Jay Phal shows it asSchomburgkia rosea var. schultzei andsays that it is from Venezuela as wellgrowing at low elevation as a largesized, hot growing epiphyte or lithophyteon rocks near rivers. Colombia. Charlesand Margaret Baker (on Troy Meyers’website) say that plants were originallyfound growing on rocks at about 1600min the Rio Cabrera Valley. Plants, whichwere also growing on bare rocks, havesince been collected near Pasto in

southwest Colombia, not far from theEcuadorian border. Clearly, this locationis moderate, not low altitude.Schomburgkia rosea var. schultzeiflowers last up to two weeks and have astrong citrus smell during the day.

The photo fromhttp://www.orchidspecies.com/schombrosea.htm shows why this species’common name is the RoseySchomburgkia.

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Monthly Meetings

Monthly meetings held on the 2nd Tuesdayof each month (exc January at ForsterPark Hall, cnr of Abernethy Road andKeane Street, Cloverdale commencing7.45 pm. Usually, the short formal meetingis followed by plant descriptions given bymembers. Supper follows to allowmembers time to socialise and discussorchids. All visitors are very welcome

Membership Fees

Family $30 PA + 2 badges (1st year only)[Badges come in two versions. Pinfastening ($11.50) or Magnet fastening($13.50) Please indicate your preference.] Single $20.00 PA + 1 badge(1st yearonly) [Pin fastening ($11.50) or Magnetfastening ($13.50)] New members who don't live in Perth willnot require name badges, thereforemembership will be at the renewal fee only.

Monthly Home Visit

On the weekend following the fourthThursday of each month (generally on theSunday morning), a home visit is held at amember’s home. This gives members anopportunity to enjoy the fellowship that ourmutual interest provides, and to see howothers go about growing their orchids.

Monthly Plant Display

Given that the prime objective of theSociety is to promote the cultivation ofspecies orchids, only species or naturalhybrids are acceptable for display. Sincewe all may be uncertain about theidentification of a plant from time to time,we encourage members to bring plantsalong about which they are unsure since

someone may be able to identify them.There is no competition nor restriction onflower count, quality or length of ownership.We want members to be able to seespecies plants in flower. So even if yourflowers are a bit past their best, bringthem in as others may not have seen thatspecies in flower.

Plant Sales

The Society provides an opportunity tablefor members to sell surplus plants andequipment, and for the Society to sellproduct from time to time. A commissionof 10% is charged on all sales.

Plant Purchases

The Society endeavours to obtain adifferent species seedling for sale at eachmeeting, usually costing between $6.00and $15.00. The Society makes a smallprofit on these sales which is invested inbenefits to members. As it is alwaysdifficult to get new or different species,should members have 20 or more plantsof one species which they feel might besuitable as a monthly plant, please contacta Committee member.

Raffle

The Society conducts a raffle each meetingand at home visits as a means of raisingfunds.

Plant Imports

The Society is able to use quarantinefacilities provided by Ken & Chris to co-operatively import species orchids.

Management

In accordance with the Constitution, theAnnual General meeting is held in Mayeach year at

ABOUT US

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If unclaimed, return toThe Editor204 Park Street, Henley Brook, WA6055

Peter and Shirley Masters110 Crawford StEast Cannington WA6107Phone: 08 9350 6087Peter’s mobile: 0419 831177Shirley’s mobile: 0414 948469email: peterskorner@iinet.net.au

Peterskorner is now distributing a range of orchid products from Easy Orchids(Murray and Jean Shergold) and we are happy to take orders, and bring them to theSpecies Orchid Society monthly meetings.

Check out our catalogue at www.peterskorner.comPhone Peter or Shirley on the above numbers or email peterskorner@iinet.net.au