Contents

From the President

As I am writing this, we have the most beautiful August weather: hot, glaring sunshine during the day with a slight breeze and cool, starry nights, with the Pleiades showers sparkling through the athmosphere. By the time you will be reading this, summer will be over and our orchids will be back in their winter quarters. Most of my orchids seem to really like all that sunlight. I can already see quite a number of sheaths on the Cattleyas now - promises of beauty during the dark days of winter. Speaking of promises: how often do you promise yourself to "take that picture right now - tomorrow at the latest, before the flowers are gone" and then tomorrow comes and goes and the flowers go and no picture has been taken, again. It happens a lot to me - there is never enough time to do all the things I should (and should like to) be doing. Perhaps we all ought to stop more often to appreciate the beauty of our orchids.

On another tack: It gives me no pleasure that, this year, we will not have a cross-Canada COC speaker. It has proven to be very difficult to find persons willing to take on such a demanding job. When you consider that we have over 25 orchid societies in Canada, you will appreciate the fact that no speaker would want to be away from home for at least a month, touring our vast country to give a lecture almost every night to a different audience. Even if only half of our societies would want to have this speaker, it still has no appeal to anyone we have contacted.

We may have to split the tour into several regions - still, the organization of this task is rather cumbersome. (Does anybody out there have some extra energy and time to take that on?) Of course, we are still working on some way to provide all of you with affordable programs. But this year: sorry, no COC speaker.

Still, I wish you all a happy time with lovely flowers and besides watering, fertilizing, cleaning, debugging, heating, cooling, dividing and repotting (to mention just a few orchid-related chores), do take the time to enjoy your orchids!

Ingrid Schmidt-Ostrander, President

A hopeful view of a somber fact

The fact is that many orchids die because of neglect. It may be unintended, but they die anyway. I am not talking about people not knowing how to grow their plants. I am thinking here of people who are no longer capable of taking good care of their orchids.

You see, out here in Victoria, there are so many retired people from Western Canada who want to enjoy the milder coastal climate. When they choose as their hobby THE ORCHIDS, it can of course be very rewarding. However, as we become older, we may have less energy to keep up with all the work that goes with our hobbies. The orchids often go downhill before their owners realize it. I should like to see that each orchid society makes available to its members an opportunity to pass over their orchids to other members of their group, before it is too late to save the plants. Thirteen years ago, when I first attended the meetings here, I met a lady, who quite seriously explained to me that she only bought her orchids from the Charlesworth nurseries in England. She had many wonderful old hybrids and rare species. I do not know what has happened to that lady or her orchids but nobody has her plants!

This is happening far too frequently out here on the Canadian West Coast; so many good orchid collections are just lost. Could we perhaps encourage the saving of collections? Could every Canadian orchid society have a short note in their newsletter, at least once each year, to help persons organize the disposal of their collections - before it is too late? Some people may want to sell their plants; others may just give them away, as long as they "go to a good home". I hear this phrase again and again. It becomes depressing to take care of the disposition of plants and try to ease that losing-pain for our older members. Sometimes, the plants are beyond help.

I believe that the British Orchid Council has some organization in place to attend to major collections. I am thinking here of the little collections, precious to their owners and also in need of care taking.

Can we please, all try to help our older growers and save their orchids?

Thank you!
I. Ostrander

MidAmerica Orchid Congress
Canadian Orchid Congress
SOOS Orchid Show
April 4-6, 2003

Setup of the show and sales is Friday, April 4.
Show Judging is Saturday morning.
Show opens at 10 am.
Lectures are Saturday afternoon.
MAOC auction is Saturday evening.
Banquet Saturday evening.
MAOC affilliated societies breakfast (open to all) 7-9am.
MAOC and COC general meetings 9am - noon in seperate rooms.
Show open on Sunday, photographers only 8-10 am, general public and sales 10 am-5 pm.
Vendors and exhibitors by invitation only.
Full registration material will be available in September. The entire show and conference will be at the Inn on the Park, Eglinton Avenue East at Leslie Street in Toronto.

Mid-America Orchid Congress
http://midamericanorchids.org/

Southern Ontario Orchid Society
http://www.soos.ca/

The Canadian Orchid Congress
http://www.CanadianOrchidCongress.ca/

Establishment of Orchid Conservation International

A new charity to promote and coordinate international efforts in orchid conservation, in conjunction with the IUCN/SSC Orchid Specialist Group and other orchid conservation networks

Those of you that attended the 2002 Plenary meeting of the OSG at the 17th WOC in Malaysia in April, will be aware of moves to establish a new charity, Orchid Conservation International. A proposal was presented at this meeting, and an overwhelming vote was given in favour of its establishment. Subsequently, the proposal was also endorsed by the International Orchid Commission (IOC).

The Executive Summary from the proposal is copied below. If anyone would like to see a copy of the full proposal, please contact Shelagh Kell and a copy will be sent to you by email attachment.

PLEASE NOTE THAT OCI WILL NOT TAKE THE PLACE OF THE OSG, BUT IS A NECESSARY STEP TO OVERCOME THE LIMITATIONS THE OSG CURRENTLY FACES.

In addition to endorsement by OSG members and non-members present at the plenary meeting, and the IOC, the proposal has been favourably received by a number of other individuals and organisations, including Marie Selby Botanic Garden and members of the Board of Trustees of the AOS.

Two OCI Development Committee Meetings have been held to date. These have been attended by Ms. Shelagh Kell (OSG Executive Officer), Dr. Phillip Cribb (OSG Chair) Prof. Michael Hutchings (University of Sussex), Mr. Philip Seaton (Chair, OSG Ex situ Conservation Group) and Dr. David Roberts (RBG Kew). A number of other individuals have been included in the consultation process, including: Ms. Marilyn Light (Chair, North American Regional OSG and OSG Education Committee); Mr. Udai Pradhan (Chair, Indian Subcontinent Regional OSG); Dr. Henry Oakeley (Royal Horticultural Society); Dr. Kiat Tan (National Parks Board, Singapore); and Dr. Wendy Strahm (Plants Officer, IUCN Species Survival Programme).

We aim to have the charity established and registered by the
autumn this year, and hope to launch OCI at EOC2003 in London next March.

We have received an initial donation from Mr. John Tan, and further donations have been pledged by Lady McNeice over the two years, 2003 and 2004. We estimate the cost of establishment of the charity in the first year to be in the region of £40,000.00 (c. US $60,000.00) and are now seeking further funding. A full break down of the budget is included in the proposal.

We would be grateful if you would forward this message to your networks, including botanic gardens, universities and orchid societies, or any individuals that you think may be interested in supporting this venture.

We look forward to your feedback.

Shelagh Kell
Phillip Cribb

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY "This document is an outline proposal for the establishment of Orchid Conservation International (OCI), a new charity to be registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (subject to Charity Commission requirements). OCI will work in conjunction with and in support of the existing IUCN Species Survival Commission's Orchid Specialist Group network (OSG), but will also involve other orchid conservation networks, and key players in the orchid world. The primary reason for this proposal is to set up an active charitable organisation that will have independent legal status, thus the ability to fundraise from governmental and non-governmental sources. OCI will act as the central coordinator of international efforts in orchid conservation, bringing the OSG and other orchid conservation networks into the formal, professional conservation sector."

Shelagh Kell
Executive Director Designate, Orchid Conservation International
Executive Officer, IUCN/SSC Orchid Specialist Group
36 Broad Street, Lyme Regis, Dorset, DT7 3QF, UK
Email: (shelagh.kell@dial.pipex.com)

Some Notes about the Genus Doritis Ldl.

Most of us grow some Phalaenopsis, perhaps species, certainly hybrids. One genus of orchids, the Doritis, is so closely related to the Phalaenopsis that at various times they were actually not called Doritis but Phalaenopsis.

In his latest revision of the genus Phalaenopsis, Eric Christensen has again, placed the Doritis in this genus. There are some minor differences between the two: the Doritis has a bit of chin (mentum); the pollinia count in Doritis is different from some Phalaenopsis but not all. The DNA testing certainly puts both genera closely together.

From what I can read in my books, it seems that there is only one rather variable species of Doritis, the Dor. pulcherrima (now probably called Phal. pulcherrima). It is considered to be, in its normal habitat, a terrestrial plant, to which the strong upright flower stems would testify.

It blooms during the summer into fall and can tolerate quite a lot of light. Since this species is very wide spread (growing in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Malay peninsula and Sumatra), there are a number of variations, mainly in the colour of the flowers. They can be a dark crimson red, which some call the `esmeralda' form, various shades of pink and rose to pure white or lavender (blue), violet and inky purple. There are also some peloric forms that have nice yellow colour on the petals; these forms were first found in the Thai province of Chumporn, therefore they have been named Doritis pulcherrima var. chumpornensis. Then there is Doritis pulcherrima variety buyssoniana. At first, Sander's used this name for plants with smaller flowers. Now, more often than not, the plants that show strong growth and have larger flowers are given this varietal name. Again, this variety can come in as many different colours as the regular form; the flowers of this variety often have spotted lower sepals. Many consider this variety to be polyploid.

There are a number of intergeneric crosses with Doritis; the only one of the genus Phalaenopsis, which crosses readily with Doritis, is the species Phal. equestris. Yet, hybridizers seem to be a persistent lot and yes, other Phalaenopsis have been crossed with Doritis, as well as many other genera of the Sarcanthinae. I am wondering if now hybrid genera names like Gastritis and Pelatoritis will disappear?

For me, the two most memorable crosses with Doritis are the old Doritaenopsis Memoria Clarence Schubert `Malibu Dream' CCM/AOS from 1974. The official description of this one reads like this: Single spike with many branches espaliered on a frame, seventy-five flowers; plant eight feet tall in a 12-inch tub; deep rosy lavender tepals with spotting at base of lateral sepals, darker rose lip with side lobes and pink dots. Natural spread of flower 8.0 cm etc. Exhibitor was Arthur Freed Orchids, inc. in Malibu, California. The second plant is the unusual hybrid Hausermannara Lucie Hausermann `York' JC/AOS from 1975, where the above plant was crossed with a Vandopsis parishii, which also made a nicely robust specimen.

Imagine: I just managed to acquire one!

For more information about Doritis and its new status, please, get Dr. Christensen's new book on Phalaenopsis and read why we now won't have to make two separate groupings in our show schedules for Phalaenopsis.and Doritaenopsis. I thank Eric for his kindness and ever-ready assistance and promise to buy his book.

Ingrid Schmidt-Ostrander

References used:
AOS Awards Quarterly
Phalaenopsis - Gruss & Wolff
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids - Hawkes
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids - A. Pridgeon
Dr. Eric Christensen - telephone calls

Pleione Species and Hybrids

The following list was produced to help clarify the existing chaos of the Pleione species, hybrids and cultivars, and is subject to corrections.

A species is a plant as it is found in its native habitat. There may be variations within a species population. Hybrids are cross-pollinated species. There are artificial and natural hybrids. Complex hybrids are crosses of several hybrids. Cultivars are outstanding plants of a species or a hybrid population.

Examples:

Species are named thus: Pleione alba, where the species name is not capitalized

Natural hybrids are named thus: Pleione x lagenaria (maculata x praecox)

Hybrids are named thus: Pleione Barcena ( formosana x praecox ), where the parent names are separated by an "x" and the hybrid name is capitalized.

Cultivars are named thus: Pleione albiflora "Pinchbeck Diamond", where the cultivar name is capitalized and enclosed in quotation marks.

Knowing a hybrid's or a cultivar's parents can help in the cultivation of a plant. Example: Pleione Versailles (formosana x limprichtii), because of the one parent, limprichtii, this plant is most likely winter-hardy in B.C.

Pleione Species

P. alba

P. albiflora
Cultivar: "Pinchbeck Diamond"

P. aurita (syn. chunii)

P. bulbocodioides
Hybrids: El Pico "Pheasant" (Versailles x bulbocodioides); Fuego (bulbocodioides x formosana); Vesuvius (bulbocodioides x P. x confusa); Volcanello (Soufriere x bulbocodioides)

P. x confusa / natural hybrid (forrestii x grandiflora)
Hybrids: Shantung (formosana x P. x confusa); Soufriere (Versailles x P. x confusa); Vesuvius (bulbocodioides x P. x confusa); "Brigadoon" (speciosa x confusa)

P. coronaria

P. formosana, P. formosana forma alba
Cultivars: "Achievement", "Blush of Dawn", "Oriental Splendour", "Polar Sun", "Snow White", "Silver Jubilee"; "Avalanche"; "Clare"; "Yeti" "Fuego" (bulbocodioides x formosana); "Barcena" (formosana x praecox)
Hybrids: Alishan (formosana x Versailles); Captain Hook ( hookefiana x formosana); Eiger (formosana x humilis); (hybrid: Ofinco Tongariro x Eiger); Piton (formosana x yunnanensis); Tolima (speciosa x formosana); Oriental Grace (formosana x ?); Shantung (formosana x P. x confusa); Rakata "Shot Silk" (speciosa x Shantung); Zeus Weinstein (formosana x forrestii); "Versailles" (formosana x limprichtii) the first Pleione hybrid ever made
Versailles Cultivars: "Versailles Bucklebury"; "Muriel Turner"
Shantung Cultivars: "Ducat"; "Muriel Habbard"; "Apricot Brandy"; "Ridgeway AM"; "Silver Wedding";

P. forrestii
Hybrid. "Zeus Weinstein" (formosana x forrestii);

P. grandiflora

P. hookeriana

P. humilus
Hybrid: ? (scropulorum x humilus)

P. limprichtii
Hybrid: Versailles (formosana x limprichtii ) the first Pleione hybrid ever made

P. x lagenaria / natural hybrid (maculata x praecox)

P. maculata

P. pinkepankii

P. praecox
Hybrid. "Barcena" (formosana x praecox)

P. saxicola

P. scropulorum

P. x confusa / natural hybrid (forrestii x grandiflora)
Hybrids: Shantung ( formosana x P. x confusa); Soufriere (Versailles x P. x confusa); Vesuvius (bulbocodioides x P. x confusa); "Brigadoon" (speciosa x confusa)
Hybrid: ( scropulorum x humilus)

P. speciosa (syn. pleionoides)
Hybrids: Asama (speciosa x Vesuvius) Rakata "Shot Silk" (speciosa x Shantung); "Tolima" (speciosa x formosana); Tongariro (Versailles x speciosa); "Brigadoon" (speciosa x confusa)

P. wallichii

P. yunnanensis
Hybrids: Piton (formosana x yunnanensis)

Hybrids and Hybrid Cultivars

Alishan (formosana x Versailles)

Asama (speciosa x Vesuvius)

Barcena (formosana x praecox)

Berapi / could be a cultivar or a hybrid

Brigadoon ( speciosa x confusa)

Captain Hook (hookeriana x formosana)

Danan (?)

Ducat "Muriel Habbard" Shantung Cultivars

Eiger (formosana x humilus )
Hybrid: Orinco (Tongariro x Eiger)

El Pico "Pheasant" ( Versailles x bulbocodioides)

Fuego ( bulbocodioides x formosana )
Hybrid: Soufriere (Versailles x P. x confusa); Tongariro (Versailles x speciosa)

Godfridstutz ( Tolima x Shantung )

Lilac Beauty (?) may be a cultivar

Monsoon (?) may be a cultivar

Moyojin (?) may be a cultivar

Oriental Grace (formosana x ?)

Orinco (Tongariro x Eiger)

P. humilus
Hybrid. (scropulorum x humilus)

Piton (formosana x yunnanensis)

Rakata (speciosa x Shantung)
Cultivar: "Shot Silk"

Shantung ( formosana x P. x confusa )
Cultivars: "Ducat"; "Muriel Habbard"
Hybrid: "Godfridstutz" ( Tolima x Shantung); "Apricot Brandy"; "Ridgeway AM", "Silver Wedding";

Soufriere (Versailles x P. x confusa)
Hybrid: Volcanello (Soufriere x bulbocodioides)

Tolima (speciosa x formosana )
Hybrid: "Godfridstutz" (Tolima x Shantung)

Tongariro (Versailles x speciosa )

Versailles (formosana x limprichtii ) the first hybrid ever made
Cultivars: "Versailles Bucklebury" "Muriel Turner"

Vesuvius (bulbocodioides x P. x confusa)
Hybrid: Asama (formosana x Vesuvius)
Cultivars: Ember"; "Phoenix";

Volcanello ( Soufriere x bulbocodioides)

Zeus Weinstein ( formosana x forrestii);

W. Bischoff, member, Vancouver Orchid Society / Vancouver B.C. Canada.

On the Web

The Pleione Website - all you need to know
http://www.pleione.info/

Real Cuba offers eco tours in Cuba including hunting for orchids.
http://www.realcubaonline.com/

Orchid Research Newsletter, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/herbarium/orchid/

RHS Orchid Register Search Page - Find the parents of your hybrid
http://www.rhs.org.uk/research/registerpages/orchidsearch.asp

RHS Orchid Register Search Page - See if your cross has been named
http://www.rhs.org.uk/research/registerpages/orchid_parentage.asp

An orchid that glows in the dark!!
http://www.hybridorchids.com/

Blue cattleyas - all you would ever want to know
http://www.orchidmall.com/Blue.Cattleyas/index.htm

Need to find an orchid picture? The London OS has a database of 73,380 enteries.
http://los.lon.imag.net/orchpics.htm

Phalaenopsis species and primary hybrids
http://home.fr.inter.net/~brochart/index_e.html

PhragWeb - The Phragmipedium Website
http://www.phragweb.info/

The Orchid Photo Page. High-quality photos of stunning hybrids and species for viewing and downloading. Very interesting section: "What if they mated?"
http://www.orchidworks.com/

Orchid Photo Encyclopedia - 3408 species in 455 genera
http://www.orchidspecies.com/

Native Orchids of Canada compiled by the Orchid Society of Royal Botanical Gardens
http://www.rbg.ca/orchids/

Slide Programs

Cattleyas - by Ken Girard. This is an excellent program.
Oncidiums - by Gordon Heaps. Slides have been added and the script has been re-done by Gordon Heaps.
Fragrant Orchids produced by Marilyn Light
Terrestrial Orchids and Their Culture, compiled by Bill Bischoff

Programs on Paphiopedilums and Phragmipediums have been promised.

The slide programs may be ordered from:
Janette Richardson
38 Straub Crescent,
Regina, Sask., S4T 6S6

Phone: 306-543-0560
Email: dale.richardson@sk.sympatico.ca

A Reminder for COC Reps

If your show dates are not listed on the back page, make sure you get them to me so they can be included in the next newsletter and added to the COC website. It is free advertising.

Have a look at the list of Canadian Orchid Societies at:
http://www.CanadianOrchidCongress.ca/cocmemb.html
Is the contact information for your society correct? Take a minute and have a look at the society websites. If your society doesnt have a website, maybe it's time to find a volunteer. Nothing fancy is required.

Whenever the Executive for your society changes, I need to know the name and mailing address of the new President, Editor, and COC Rep in order to update my mailing list for the COC Newsletter.

Jerry Bolce, Editor, jerry@uwaterloo.ca

COMING EVENTS

2002

• Sept 28-29: Central Ontario Orchid Society, the lower level of the University Centre Building at the University of Guelph, Guelph
• Oct 26-27: Eastern Canada Orchid Society at the Days Inn Hotel in Downtown Montreal
• Nov 2-3: Victoria Orchid Society Mall Orchid Show. It will be in the Hillside Mall, Hillside and Shelbourne. Contact: "Ingrid Ostrander" email: ifl@telus.net 250-652-6133
• Nov 9-10: Niagara Region OS, Queen Elizabeth Centre, Facer St. (QEW and Niagara St), St Catherines

2003

• Feb 21-23: Orchid Society of Alberta. in the Grant MacEwan College, Millwoods Campus, 7319 - 29 Ave. Edmonton, Alberta. This is an A.O.S. judged show. For more info contact me at rmerz@telusplanet.net or call (780) 483-0137
• March 8-9: London Orchid Society Orchid Show, Wonderland Gardens, 284 Wonderland Road South, London, ON
  For show information: http://los.lon.imag.net/losshows.htm
• March 29-March 30: Orchid Society of the Royal Botanical Gardens, the 22nd Annual Show, 680 Plains Rd., Burlington, ON. Show chair is Ben Boers, email bmboers@hotmail.com.
• April 3 - 5: The 2003 The Mid-America Orchid Congress and Show will be hosted by The Southern Ontario Orchid Society at The Inn on the Park at Eglington Avenue East and Leslie Street.
• April 4-6: The Manitoba Orchid Society. For more information, please email: mosorchids@home.com
• April 5-6: The Regina Orchid Society annual show and sale at the Core Ritchie Community Centre, 445 14th Ave., Regina. Contact Janette Richardson, (306)543-0560 email: dale.richardson@sk.sympatico.ca
• April 26-27: The Ottawa Orchid Society show, Nepean Sportsplex, 1701 Woodroffe Ave., Nepean

The purpose of COC news is to inform members of the meetings, policies of the COC, to profile members, and to provide technical information regarding happenings, trends and techniques in orchid culivation across the country and around the world.

We welcome your suggestions and contributions. Deadline for each issue is one month before the issue dates previously announced.

Recipients of this newsletter are strongly urged to pass a copy on to other members of their society

Officers of the Canadian Orchid Congress

COC Web Site - http://www.CanadianOrchidCongress.ca/
Please send in your show information - date, location, contact, etc.

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