June 2003 Plant Table – Venice Area Orchid Society

Show Table June 2003

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. The monthly speaker chooses the Speaker’s Choice and the VAOS members vote on the plant for Members’ Choice. The following section describes each of these awards for June 2003. To view a larger image, click on the photograph.

	First Place Award, Sobennikoffia robusta Grower: Orchids Etc. Shown with three flower spikes and a total of 28 flowers in perfect condition. The species is native to Madagascar and grows in a seasonally dry woodland next to shrubs. The species was originally described as Oeonia robusta by Schlecter in 1913, but he transferred it to his newly described genus, Sobennikoffia in 1925. Sobennikoffia is closely allied to the Angraecum but has a three lobbed lip.
	Second Place Award: Miltonia Red Tide x mem. Ida Seigel Grower: Mary Anne Digrazia Few Miltoniopsis plants make it to our show table because our climate is not condusive to growing these cool loving plants. This hybrid had three flowers.
	Third Place Award: Dendrobium Madame Vipa ‘Bangkok Green’ Grower: Jean Terrana A mass of blooms (11 spikes and over 100 flowers) impressed the judges. The flowers were a clear green with a solid reddish-purple lip. The cross was registered in 1985. The breeding is complex, with Den. phalanopsis in about 50% of the backround and six other species contributing the rest.
	Best Species Award and Members’ Choice: Grammatophyllum scriptum Grower:Monroe Kokin A ‘first blooming’ of a grammatophyllum species with 2 spikes and over ninety flowers. Estimated spike length about 6 feet. Several scriptum plants have been awarded and cultural awards often involve plants with over a thousand flowers and 20 or more spikes – Monroe, get ready for this to grow!
	Speaker’s Choice: Meiracyllium trinasutum Grower: George Walker A solid ‘ball’ of a plant, each leaf about two inches high. The small blossoms are about one-half inch in diameter.The plant was displayed on a small hanging stand. The species is native to Mexico and Guatemala.

Judges: Mary Anne Digrazia, Anna Sibille, Don Mitchell

48 plants from 21 exhibitors were shown.