New Purchase

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This is my new purchase from Micheal Sinn. I went to Orchids Etcetera to pick up a birthday present for a friend. Jeff had some beautiful stuff, but nothing he and I thought would work for a new orchid grower. Micheal had some well grown C. purpurata that fit the bill. Then I looked around the bloom shown above caught my eye. Now it’s part of my collection.

The parents of this plant are Slc. Mae Hawkins x C. Chocolate. You may recognize the cross, C. Chocolate x Slc Mae Hawkins is the well known Slc. Tutankamen.

I find it interesting that the seed and pod parents plants being reversed produced so strikingly different flowers.

June Meeting Speaker – Michael Sinn

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June 2 at 7:00 p.m. Speaker: Michael Sinn
Topic: Orchid Hunting in Venezuela

Born in Venezuela to German parents, Michael Sinn became fascinated with orchids at the age of twelve when he took over the care and culture of his mother’s extensive collection of Cattleyas and Oncidiums. He grew up hiking the jungles of South America, whenever possible, in search of Cattleyas in their natural habitats. Using his degree in civil engineering from Universidad Metropilitana in Caracas, Michael worked as a contractor for four years in the Venezuelan Amazon State. The work afforded himopportunities to further observe habitats but, more important, he came to understand the urgency for conservation. He spent much personal time teaching local people how to pollinate the orchids, impressing upon them the need to let the plants remain in their natural habitat.

Michael’s instincts drew him toward breeding Cattleyas and Laelias, eventually starting his own nursery. By 2003, Michael and his growing family moved to Florida where he opened his nursery business, Canaima Orchids, which he continues to develop. Through his excursions over the years to habitats in Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela, Michael’s vision remains constant: to conserve native species by producing the finest cultivars of Cattleya species possible. Orchid connoisseurs turn to him for superior seedlings and divisions.

Michael Sinn is a widely recognized top quality breeder, honored with numerous international awards. A writer, popular lecturer, and Certified Judge with the American Orchid Society, he serves as  Judging Chairman for the Venezuelan  Orchid Association (A.V.O.).

Michael Sinn is the owner of Canaima Orchids, 6635 Sim Barco Road, Palmetto, FL 34221, Ph. 941/773-2940  Visitors are always welcome at the greenhouses & showroom. Facilities are available for holding luncheon meetings & demonstrations. Canaima Orchids is open to the public Saturdays only, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Weekdays by appointment.  www.canaimaorchids.com

May 2010 Plant Table

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Show Table May 2010

Monthly meetings include a show table of members’ plants. Six ribbons are awarded each month. 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 May. Plants are named as presented with minor editing corrections. To view a larger image, click on the photograph.

First Place and Members’ Choice: Cattlianthe Jewel Box ‘Scheherazade’ AM/AOS

Grower: Bill Timm

A classic red Cattleya, this hybrid was registered in 1962 and is a cross of Guarianthe aurantiaca x Cattleya Anzac. The first award to a clone was in 1964. The ‘Scheherazade’ clone was granted an HCC in 1969 and the AM was earned in 1971. The plant was cloned and widely distributed. It has proven to be a vigorous grower earning 14 AOS cultural awards, once with 450 flowers.
Second Place and Speaker’s Choice: Doriteanopsis Little Gem Stripes

Grower: Bob Wallace

A very well grown, floriferous plant of this multifloral Phalaenopsis. The clonal name was not given, but it looks at lot like the clone ‘OX 1425’ which has an AM award from the AOS. The cross was registered in 1997.
Third: Epicattleya (Guaricyclia) Charlie Brown ‘Red Star’

Grower: Bob Wallace

Many bright red flowers made this the third place winner. The name maybe be problematic. There are two Charlie Brown’s in the Cattleya hybrid group. The one named above and Enanthleya Charlie Brown. While their parentage differs, both can produce offspring similar to the one shown.
Best Species: Dendrobium lindleyi

Grower: Carol Wood

Carol has owned this plant for six years and this is the fifth time it has bloomed. Each successive blooming has produced a larger ball of flowers which last about a week. The species is also known as Den. aggregatum, an older name that was applied in error to this species.

18 plants from 8 exhibitors were shown.