Volume 9 No.3 June 1997

CONTENTS

FRONT COVER:
Bollea coelestis- a magnificent pair of unusual 'blue' flowers, captured on film by David Titmuss. This is the Selected Species for this month's issue, a regular column written for us by Peter Taylor.

Selected Species – Bollea coelestis. Peter Taylor's regular feature is always a wealth of information, and this month is no exception. This orchid is not common in my part of the world, and I recently saw one on a trip to Warrnambool Orchids, Victoria. Stunning. Here, Peter studies its history in depth.

MAJOR FEATURE this month is:
Cymbidiums – the Third Renaissance. Julian Coker has written his for this magazine for every issue to date. This time he writes of what he sees as the third renaissance of cymbids in the orchid world. Plenty of excellent photographs accompany this article.

14th Australian Orchid Conference. Conference Chairman, Col Ferguson, gives a run down on the count down to the September event. Accompanying photograph is an awarded clone of Dendrobium bigibbum 'Valerie' HCC/AOC-QOS, grown by K & V Balke. This orchid is the floral emblem for the state of Queensland, and is central to the official badge for the Conference, as well as the Queensland Orchid Society and the Australian Orchid Council.

Orchid Growing in Alaska. Laurel Devaney takes us on a visit to her orchid collection in Fairbanks, Alaska. Fairbanks is located almost in the centre of this US state. Read this and you will appreciate just how easy it is for us in mainland Australia to grow orchids!!

The Cymbidium Page. Julian Coker's regular feature. This month he looks at the process of mericloning and explains the procedures. Four illustrations of various stages of the process.

CD-ROM Review:
The RHS Orchid Information System 1997 ed. Colin Hamilton reviews this new release after testing the beta version. The Sanders hybrid data is up to 31 October 1996 and the new search engine runs like a dream. There are other refinements and a price reduction to US$150 will please orchid growers whether professional, commercial or hobbyist.

Frederick Sander and his Orchids. Brian Milligan and Jim Cootes trace the remarkable rise and fall of the famous orchid house of Sander's. Once the shining star of the orchid world, alas the firm has disappeared into history. Photographs show some of the orchids named in honour of this remarkable man.

30 years a Giant – Bulbophyllum fletcherianum. Phil Spence of Sydney has spent much of his working life visiting Papua New Guinea. He has recorded many of the orchid species of the country. Here he looks back on the good old days, the plundering of the habitat, and the re-generation of this massive orchid.

Thelymitra crinita – the blue obsession. A phone call from the Aust. National Botanic Gardens to Orchids Australia late last year began an adventure for a Korean film crew to photograph this deepest of the blue orchids. Why did they want to film this orchid in the wild? You'll have to read the article and the punch line! The lead-up involved people in Canberra, Sydney, Rockhampton and Perth.

Dendrobium pachyphyllum. Regular contributor Jim Cootes gives us an insight into this unusual orchid. Great photo.

In vitro effects of Temperature, Plant Growth regulators and media on protocorm induction from immature embryos of Cymbidium canaliculatum. Deng Shiyu and Neil Hallam take a scientific look at this question.

Rockwool – it works for me. Rob Palmer talks to the boss of Royale Orchids, Kevin Hipkins, and discovers what Rockwool means to him and his major nursery.

Japan Grand Prix 1997. No it's not the motor race, it is the Tokyo Dome Orchid Show with a new car for the Grand Champion orchid. We are taken on a grand tour by Perth nurseryman Kevin Butler. Great photos give us a worm's eye view without the crush of the crowd!

Trochotosia vulpina. Another odd species presented by Jim Cootes for our education and delight.

and regular features: Computer Corner, Around the Shows, International Conferences and Shows through to 1999, Cultural Notes, etc. etc....

Revised: August 1997

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