First Place and Speakers Choice: Pot. Susan Fender 'Cinnamon Stick' AM/AOS

Grower: Richard Amos

This hybrid, Pot. Ceasar's Head x Lc. Mary Ellen Carter, was registered in 1992 by Carter and Homes and named for our member, Susan Fender. The Fenders received the AM/AOS award on this clone in 1994.

Richard Amos grew it well, with 7 flowers and 2 buds on four infloresences.

Second Place and Members' Choice: Blc. Yen Surprise x C. Penny Kuroda 'Spots' AM/AOS

Grower: Chris Simco

With 26 flowers on three tall inflorescences,this plant made an outstanding display of color.The C. Penny Kuroda parent was first recognized with a CCM award, then an HCC and finally, in 1996, the AM award. It had purple flares on the petals, which in this offspring have become fully colored petals set against the white sepals.

Third Place: Blc. Rustic Spots

Grower: Chris Simco

Blc. Rustic Spots is a hybrid of Bl. Richard Mueller x C. Landate registered in 2000 by H&R Orchids. Bl. Richard Mueller crosses often lose their intensity of color as they age. This has been become a feature of the plants, and provides for multicolored flowers on the same plant. In the picture, the bronze flowers are newly open, the yellow flowers are several days older.

Best Species: Kefersteinia tolimensis

Grower: Bill and Connie Timm

This species,from Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela grows at elevations around 1500 to 2100 meters. It is hot to warm growing and prefers lower light levels and to be kept wet at all times. It blooms as single flowers on infloresences that develop succesively from the base of the plant. The Kefersteinia genus is closely related to Chondrorhycha and Cochleanthes.