June 2010 Plant Table

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Show Table June 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. Plants are named as presented with minor editing corrections. To view a larger image, click on the photograph.

First Place : Paph Honey

Grower: Dorothy Funderburg

A gorgeous and well grown Paphiopedilum. This is a cross of papiopedilum ( primulinium x phillipense var roebellii). We were fortunate that this plant chose to be in peak bloom for our meeting. Dorothy said she has cared for this plant for many years. It is one of her favorites.
Second Place : Bulbophyllum Star of Sumatra

Grower: Monroe Kokin

This beautiful flower definitely caught the attention of the judges. This is a hybrid of Bulbo. sumatranum and echinolabium. RHS do not recognize Bulbo sumatranum as a separate species but treats it as a synonym to Bulbophyllum lobbii var. breviflorumhe. The flower is about 3″ across.
Third: Paravanda Mecca’s Candy ‘Sweet Tooth’

Grower: Carol Wood

It’s wonderful to see something new at every meeting. This cross of Paraphalaenopsis x Vanda teres is something many of us have never seen. This clone has beautiful lavender flowers with a brownish red lip and was awarded HCC/AOS with 77 points.
Best Species and Speaker’s Choice: :  Dockrillia wassellii

Grower: Roy Klinger

Dockrillia wassellii is a dendrobium species found in Australia. This plant has small but attractive inflorescences of pure white. The foliage is attractive as well, resembling small cacti. With a plant table loaded with attractive species, this plant was well grown and well bloomed indeed to attract the attention of both the judges and the speaker.

Photographs by Lynne Pedlar

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