Speaker: Dr. Antonio Toscano —- Topic: “Sex, Lies and Orchids”

Dr. Antonio Toscano is the director of the Orchid Division, Marie Selby Gardens in Sarasota. Born in Brazil, he received his PhD from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, through the University of Reading and has completed several expeditions to the Amazon in search of Pleurothallids.  The Pleurothallid alliance of New World orchids includes popular genera such as Masdevallia and Dracula and Dr. Toscano is the world’s leading expert on the more than 4000 species of these amazing orchids.

 He recently completed a Global Plants Initiative project on the orchid diversity of the rapidly disappearing Atlantic rainforests of S.E. Brazil. VAOS continues to support conservation efforts in this area through our annual contribution to the Orchid Conservation Alliance.

He will discuss the unique form and structure of these orchids as well as their complicated and sometimes “erotic” pollination methods. He’ll dazzle us with breathtaking  photos from around the world, especially from Brazil.

Orchid Envy, one of our newer local growers, will have a selection of their beautiful plants and arrangements for sale.