Show Table September 2005
Monthly meetings include a show table of members’ plants. Six ribbons are awarded each month: four awards are selected by an alternating team of three VAOS member judges. These awards are: one for Best Species, and a First, Second and Third place award to any plant, a Speaker’s Choice award and the VAOS members vote on the plant for Members’ Choice. The following section describes each of these awards for September. There was a tie for Members’ Choice in September. Plants are named as presented with minor editing corrections. To view a larger image, click on the photograph.
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First Place: Lc. Mari Reyes
Grower: Elinor Burton This interesting green spotted hybrid had 2 inflorescences with 14 flowers. It is a cross of C. Sophia Martin and Lc. Wailea which was registered in 1981. There are eight Cattleya and two Laelia species in the background, with C. guttata the most prominent. Three clones have earned HCC/AOS awards. |
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Second Place: Epilaeliocattleya Don Hermon ‘Gold Rush’ HCC/AOS
Grower: Mary Anne Digrazia Epilaeliocattleya Don Hermon is a hybrid of Lc. Gold Digger and Epi. stamfordianum registered in 1996 by Carmela Orchids.. This is probably the most well known grex of the intergeneric hybrids made using Epi. stamfordianum. Hybrids of this type have to be of value in their own right; they seldom are fertile for developing new hybrids. |
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Third Place: Epidendrum Mabel Kanda
Grower: Jon Masters. This is a hybrid of two species, Epi. cordigerum and Epi. floribundum, that was registered in 1959. Although Epi. floribundum was described in 1816, it is a synonym for the earlier described plant, Epi. paniculatum. The exhibited plant had 70 flowers on 2 inflorescences. The clear green sepals and petals nicely enhanced the pink lip. |
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Species of the month: Epidendrum diffusum
Grower: Bill Timm. This species was described in 1788 and and is often refered to as the ‘mosquito orchid’ because the inflorescence creates a cloud of flowers similar to a swarm of mosquitos. It is native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. |
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Speaker’s Choice: Aerangis articulata
Grower: Richard Amos A native of Africa, this species has a pendent zig-zag inflorescence that supports the alternating, well-spaced flowers. The species was first described in 1872 and is native to Madagascar. The exhibited plant had two inflorescences and about 37 flowers. |
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Members Choice: Aerangis biloba
Grower: Richard Amos A specimen plant of Aerangis biloba that created an excellent display. It had more inflorescences (20) and flowers/buds (estimated at 250) than any clone of the species that has received a cultural award from the AOS. The top award to date is the clone ‘Titan III’ which had 17 inflorescences, more than 240 flowers and buds, and earned 94 points. |
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Members Choice: Dendrobium Gulfshore’s Roselite
Grower: Chris Simco Another specimen plant with approximately 45 infloresences carrying up to 14 flowers each. This is a cross of Den. Minapac and Den. Vivian Snider that was registered in 1998. The recent breeding with this type of Dendrobium has been to create smaller growing, floriferous plants. |
21 plants from 17 exhibitors were shown.