news
The Journal of the Canadian Orchid Congress
Le Journal de la Fédération Canadienne des Sociétés Orchidophiles
newsContents
Faithe Prodanuk, Bill Thoms and Jean Hollebone
Ottawa Show and COC AGM, April 2008
Another year, and a new and continuing slate of officers will now continue to move COC business forward. To be effective on your behalf we need your ideas, druthers and thoughts so please feel free to write or call me at any time.
I would like to begin by thanking each of the retiring executive officers for their dedicated work on behalf of the COC societies. Without the work done on your behalf, the Congress would be less effective. In particular, I want to thank Faithe Prodanuk for her able guidance over the past two years as COC President. Just what a formidable job I am inheriting became clear as she cheerfully dumped a foot high stack of papers before me and said, " This is just a part of the work of the last two years, and it's all yours now, Jean." Indeed it will be a big job and I hope I can fill her shoes appropriately. Thank you Faithe for all your hard work on behalf of the COC.
We could only convince Robin Mc Laughlin to serve one year as secretary. Thank you Robin for your work and your help in producing the AGM minutes which will be published on the web shortly.
Another very big thanks goes to Janette Robinson, retiring from Treasurer for the COC for eleven years and as secretary for a year before that. Janette has been not only our very able financial manager but also is historical memory for the COC. Thank you Janette, for keeping the financial records in pristine order, for managing the COC medal and slide show distribution, and the thousand and one other related duties which you have quietly managed which have kept the COC well and functioning. We wish her well and thank her for her service. I have asked Janette to keep her line open as I am certain I will need to call upon her memory and I thank you Janette for generously agreeing.
A big thanks to those continuing members of the executive:
to Jerry Bolce as web master and newsletter editor,
the communication king- pin that keeps us connected.
The newsletters are interesting and informative. It is a
tremendous amount of work and he needs your support
for continued content. Thank you Jerry, for this
important work. Thank you Lynne Cassidy for managing the
insurance program so seamlessly. Marilyn Light thank you
for your continuing work on Conservation, CITES and
importation. Mark Elliot, thank you for heading the
education committee. And thank you to all the COC reps of
the individual societies for being the liaison between
your society and the COC.
In addition to the continuing members, your new executive includes Elsie Gerdes, First Vice president ( North Okanagan Orchid Society), Peter Poot ( SOOS) Second Vice president, Carol Gert, (Foothills Orchid Society)as Secretary and Margaret Hewings ( OSRBG) as Treasurer. Valerie Tribes completes the team. I urge you to read their bios on the COC executive web page.
We have a full and interesting schedule of activities on our plate as you will see from the highlights of the AGM minutes in this newsletter. Over the summer, the executive will meet by e- mail to get our work started. We are looking at modernizing the slide program, expanding the use of the COC medal, and getting a firmer grip on membership, COC policies and procedures. We will continue to work with government agencies on CITES and import questions. We will be picking up new tasks and for this we will be sending out an autumn questionnaire to ask for your society's input and ideas on what is important to your society at a national level and what specifically would you like the COC to do to facilitate orchid activities in your region. As president, I hope to continue to emphasize COC relevancy to Canadian orchid societies' needs and interests, and I plan to speak publicly with a national voice on import and phytosanitary issues. For now, have a happy summer and great orchiding.
Jean Hollebone, COC President.
Greetings,
At the last AGM on April 25, 2008 my duties of COC President were passed on to Jean Hollebone.
Congratulations to all the newly elected members to the COC executive. I would like to thank the retiring executive, Margaret Blewett, Past President, Janette Richardson, Treasurer and Terry Zdan, Vice President for all the work they did in their term on the COC council. Janette dedicated twelve years handling the financial business as Treasurer and looked after the COC slide programs and COC medals. Thank you for a great job over many years.
Remember, the Canadian Orchid Congress (COC) needs volunteers. It can be rewarding to work on a committee with members from across Canada to achieve a common goal. So, when the executive asks for volunteers, do your part for COC, share your knowledge and expertise with orchid growing members and make the Canadian Orchid Congress your society.
A big thank you to the executive members for all the help they gave me over the past couple of years.
Happy Blooming!
Faithe Prodanuk, COC Past President
Jean Hollebone is a 20 year member of the Ottawa Orchid Society, serving as secretary and show registrar. Currently she is COC rep and manages the monthly show table. She grows a number of orchids and likes Paphiopedilum species, Bulbophyllums and Jewel Orchids. Professionally, she worked for 29 years with Agriculture Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in pesticide and biotechnology regulation, Plant health, and as Director of Research and Development for the animal and plant health and food safety programs. In retirement she continues work with the Science and Technology Secretariat which coordinates the work of 11 science-based government departments and agencies. In 2007-8 she returned to college, earning a florist certification, which she now plans to put into practical use. Jean and husband Bryan have three boys, two daughters-in-law, four grandchildren and a house full of old Canadian Clocks cared for by Bryan. As new COC President, Jean wants to expand communication between Societies and the COC and will work hard to improve/add programs which further the goals and objectives of the COC and relevancy to member societies. In doing so she asks for your support and involvement in on-going and new initiatives.
Margaret has worked in the travel industry since 1972,initially using her two years of living in Europe as a basis for setting up and escorting educational groups, and eventually developing group travel for many niche markets. In 1982 she bought her own full service travel agency, concentrating on group travel.
It was in 1990 that she first visited an orchid nursery in Hawaii. She has since led many orchid tours to various parts of the world - in Canada to view wild orchids growing in BC, Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland; elsewhere to view wild orchids in Florida, Singapore, Malaysia, France, UK, Japan, and South America.
In 2002 she took on the position of the Conservation Rep. for the OSRGB.
Margaret now works from home and plans to continue to work with group travel, including showing how orchids grow in their native environment and why conservation is so important.
Peter retired from 30 years of community planning some 15 years ago. He has grown orchids for over 45 years and is a past president of SOOS, COC, the Mid American Orchid Congress, and the Eastern Orchid Congress. He is currently an accredited AOS judge, the editor of the SOOS Newsletter and the Chair of the Toronto Judging Centre of the AOS. Peter has been SOOS show chair for many years and has been involved in organising orchid congresses in Toronto that included the COC, AOS, MAOC and EOC.
There is a complaint about the vendors list on the COC website not being up to date. There are vendors without a website, making it difficult to know if they are still in business. Please have a look at the vendors in your region and let me know if one should be removed or maybe I missed one that should be added. The vendors are listed to make it easier for you to find that special orchid whether on a visit or having it shipped.
http://www.CanadianOrchidCongress.ca/vendors.html
- Jerry Bolce, Webmaster
The last weekend in April was a very busy one for the Ottawa Orchid Society and friends. On Friday evening the Nepean Sportsplex was humming as exhibitors set up displays, and the art gallery, as the fragrance and corsage competitions were judged and a reception was held for out of town visitors and COC delegates.
Saturday morning came all too early with breakfast at 7a.m. and judging starting at 8 a.m. and continuing with AOS judging in the afternoon. Best specimen plant and best plant in Show was L purpurata var semi alba `Caixinhe' x `Sonja Fonda' shown by the Toronto Artistic Orchid Association. One award of quality and cultural excellence was awarded to Marsh Hollow orchids and six awards
Gongora unicolor |
COC seminars began Saturday afternoon and continued on Sunday with eight excellent speakers. We learned about orchids in China( Marilyn Light), orchid culture and care, ( Julie Mertens), Bulbophyllums ( Bill Thoms) and beautiful South African Disas (John Doherty). Saturday night's awards banquet featured a funny and thought provoking talk by Doug Kennedy on the peculiar traits of those who grow orchids and those who support those who grow them. The auction that followed raised $2018 which will be split equally between the COC and the OOS.
Sunday began with a packed COC AGM and another round of superb seminars by Bill Thoms on orchid culture, recent trends in breeding paphiopedilums (Norito Hasagawa) and mini- Cattleyas (Howard Ginsberg) and the discovery and breeding of Phragmipedium kovachii by Glen Decker. All too soon it was 5 p.m. and take down time and in an amazingly short period all that remained were empty tables and aching feet…. till next year. The OOS would like to say at this time, sincere thanks to all our COC visitors and vendors for coming and to all the volunteers for their help in making this event a success.
Pleurothallid display |
The 21st meeting of the Canadian Orchid Congress chaired by President Faithe Prodanuk was held in the Nepean Sportsplex, Ottawa, attended by fifteen orchidists representing BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec orchid societies. The minutes of the 20th meeting held in Winnipeg Manitoba in March 2007 were adopted and business arising from the minutes included information that the insurance program was working well, and that sending of the newsletter by email had been well received. It was agreed to update the vender information on the web site annually. A request was made to all societies to remind them to a) provide a short write-up and picture of how they used the COC medal for each year, b) to provide short monthly or bimonthly updates to the newsletter editor on important activities or events in their societies which would be of interest to other COC members, and c) to ensure distribution of the COC newsletter to the society membership.
A new membership liaison position was approved with responsibility to keep the names of society executive positions and addresses current in the COC address list. Valerie Tribes from the North Okanagan Orchid Society has agreed to take on this position for the COC.
Reports from the President, Treasurer, Conservation chair, editor and others were presented and discussed. The issue of proceeds from the COC auction was discussed and it was clarified that earlier minutes had indicated that the proceeds were to be split on the basis of gross funds received, as auction items were donated. It was agreed there was no need to change this decision at this time.
Other highlights: Several committees were struck to advance COC business:
Ongoing business: The Western speakers tour was reported as a success. Funding for this tour was on a one time basis and there is a need to review the criteria for funding three or more societies getting together to sponsor speakers. This will be looked at by the new executive as quickly as possible.
Marilyn Light and Jean Hollebone will continue to follow CITES and phytosanitary issues for the COC and to work with the respective agencies involved. Jean reported that CFIA has agreed to develop a new document to cover importation of orchids from Europe and Asia to Canada. Update of the document providing guidance on hosting a COC meeting will be updated from comments received after the AGM and circulated for approval to Societies.
The new slate of officers was presented and approved.
A motion was made to thank Janette Richardson for her dedication and hard work as treasurer and secretary for over the last twelve years for the COC. This was supported unanimously with much applause. A presentation plaque and small gift of thanks are being sent to Janette on behalf of the COC. Faithe Prodanuk was thanked for her work as president of the COC over the last two years.
In closing, the Ottawa Orchid Society was thanked for hosting the meeting and the meeting adjourned at 12:15 just in time to hear the invited seminar speakers. The full minutes of the meeting will be published as an annex to the newsletter when available and will take precedence over this summary.
Jean Hollebone
Canadian Orchid Congress Award for most unique or unusual orchid
Disa uniflora, Owner Carole Gert, Foothills Orchid Society.
Carole is the new secretary for the COC.
|
This writing came into existence after I had read (one more time) the old Rule:
Paphiopedilums with plain green leaves grow cold,
Those with patterned leaves grow warm.
Wrong!
Fortunately, there are many books written by many dedicated experts about the lady-slippers in general and the Paphiopedilums in particular. I am most grateful to all these authors and glad that I could read their instructions and arguments. I must point out that for the final decision, I am leaning on Catherine Cash's writings and most heavily on Phillip Cribb's second edition of "The Genus Paphiopedilum"; therefore you may not see all the earlier names listed.
As we know, the equator is an imaginary line around the widest part of the globe, right where the sun shines the strongest and temperatures are the hottest. The farther North and South we travel, the cooler our temperatures become. If we only had to consider the degrees of latitude, it would be very simple to deduce temperatures at any given point on earth. But we also have to remember that the higher an elevation rises above sea level, the cooler it becomes. We have seen pictures of high mountains in the tropics with eternal snow on their summits, like Mauna Kea in Hawaii and Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. There are many other very high mountains in the tropics. And that is why it is not so simple to come up with a temperature for any given spot.
In addition, there is the weather to consider: the warm, wet monsoons, cool winters and dry seasons. There are also very shady river valleys and hot sunny rock faces. It makes a difference whether plants grow in full sun or on slopes or cliffs that are facing away from the sun.
The biggest difference seems to be between continental climate and oceanic climate. You can see this clearly on distribution maps in several books that are so helpful to us - the amateurs.
Some of you may have seen the lovely chart:
Supplementing Calcicolous Paphiopedilum
Species, prepared by the Wellensteins, in http://www.ladyslippers.com.
The listing here
is not as precise but it is an attempt to help a few
growers who, like me, have trusted that old rule (above) and
killed many precious plants. To make things easier, I am listing
the plants in alphabetical order, for the sections and again
for
the species.
Please remember that new species of plants, including slipper orchids, are regularly discovered and described. Taxonomists are also constantly adjusting described species' status from realizing that a new species may be closely related to an earlier described species and so they give the new arrival varietal status. Sometimes, species which grow over a large distribution area and have been found by several different plant hunters have been described under several different names and our taxonomists must decide which name has preference by being the first one published _ and declaring the other names to be synonyms. I you own a plant, whose name does not appear on the following list, please try to look the name up in the pertinent literature, on the web and best of all: On the Kew List of Monocots.
As mentioned earlier, the most important factor affecting temperature tolerance is whether any species originate in continental areas with somewhat harsher climates which can present seasonally cooler temperatures or if they come from oceanic (coastal and island) areas with a gentler and generally warmer climate. Leaf colour is irrelevant.
Most, if not all of the Paphiopedilum species grow intermediate, which means it is seldom below 15°C/55°F and no higher than 26°C/80°F. For short periods, plants may tolerate 36°C/100°F with good air circulation. A drop in night temperature is always advisable. During cooler temperatures, please ensure dry potting media. This also applies to hybrid Paphiopedilums.
Now to the species, grouped into sections, all in alphabetical order:
This section is the largest; its vast area of distribution is mostly oceanic from SE China through all of Malaysia, Borneo, New Guinea and other South Pacific islands. The plants have mottled foliage and need intermediate to warm temperatures, even moisture and have no dormant period.
| acmodontom | |
| appletonianum | |
| argus | can take cool winter |
| barbatum | drier in winter |
| bougainvilleanum | |
| bullenianum | |
| callosum | |
| ciliolare | |
| dayanum | |
| fowliei | |
| hennesianum | |
| hookerae and variety volonteanum | |
| javanicum and variety virens | |
| lawrenceanum | |
| mastersianum | |
| papuanum | |
| purpuratum | can take cool winter |
| sangii | |
| schoseri | |
| sukhakulii | |
| superbiens and variety curtisii | |
| tonsum | |
| urbanianum | |
| venustum | "from the wettest place on Earth…" |
| violascens | |
| wardii | |
| wentworthianum |
These are the warm-growing little "White" ones from coastal and oceanic areas spreading from SE China through Burma, Thailand and Malaysia. They all like extra lime in the potting mix and have patterned leaves.
| bellatulum |
| concolor |
| godefroyae |
| niveum |
These have plain green, slightly tessellated leaves and come from Sumatra and Java -- warm!
| glaucophyllum and varieties | like some lime |
| liemianum | |
| primulinum and variety purpurascens | |
| victoria-marieae | prefers no lime at all |
| victoria-reginae | likes some lime |
Plants come from the Philippines, Borneo, New Guinea - all areas of high temperatures and high rainfall; they all have plain green leaves.
| adductum | |
| gigantifolium | |
| glanduliferum | |
| kolopakingii | |
| philippinense | likes some lime |
| randsii | |
| rothschildianum | has a cooler, drier winter rest |
| sanderianum | grows in the shade |
| stonei | likes some lime |
| supardii | |
| wilhelminae | likes some lime |
These plants come from a large area spreading out between S China through Vietnam, Thailand and India; they have plain green leaves and several have cool, dry winters
| barbigerum | |
| charlesworthii | can be very cool in the winter |
| druryi | from S. India grows in full, hot sun |
| exul | |
| fairrieanum | likes some lime and cooler winters |
| gratrixianum | no lime |
| helenae | |
| henryanum | |
| hirsutissimum and variety esquirolei | like some lime and have a very cool winter rest |
| insigne and varieties | like some lime and cooler winters |
| spicerianum | likes some lime and cooler winters |
| tigrinum | |
| villosum and varieties | can grow as epiphytes with cooler winters |
This section has fewer plants but they are spread out over an area from SE China through Burma, Thailand and Malaysia to Borneo and the Philippines. They have plain green leaves, experience large temperature fluctuations; they often grow at high altitudes and are subject to the local monsoons.
| dianthum | likes some lime |
| haynaldianum | can have somewhat cool winters |
| lowii | is widely spread as epiphyte or lithophyte (quick drainage!) with cooler, drier winter |
| parishii | needs a cool, dry winter rest, does well in hanging basket |
This group comes from S China and N Vietnam and except for Paph. emersonii they have strongly patterned leaves; all grow in a more continental climate.
| armeniacum | likes some lime, warm temperature but a dry winter |
| delenatii | needs acidic potting mix, grows warm - tropical |
| emersonii | needs lime and in nature can be subject to frost. |
| malipoense and variety jackii | need some lime, have dry cooler winter and wet warm summer |
| micranthum | needs some lime. |
- Ingrid Schmidt-Ostrander
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
President Jean Hollebone
613-226-2395
Past President Faithe Prodanuk
250-542-0248
Vice-President Elsie Gerdes
250-546-1939
Vice-President Peter Poot
905-640-5643
Treasurer Margaret Hewings
905-634-7084
Secretary Carole Gert
403-949-4025
Education Mark Elliott
604-501-2136
Conservation Marilyn Light
819-776-2655
Insurance Lynne Cassidy
604-536-8185
Membership Valerie Tribes
250-503-1179
Editor Jerry Bolce
519-885-1888