Contents of latest Issue

August 2002  (Vol.14 No.4)

THIS MONTH'S FEATURES:

FRONT COVER:

Cattleya intermedia fma. orlata ‘Crownfox’

exhibited by RF Orchids, Florida, was one of the stand-out orchids exhibited at the World Orchid Conference held in Malaysia at the end of April/early May. It was awarded a Silver Medal. In this issue we have a number of articles on the Conference written by Kevin Butler, Ruth Rudkin, Gary Yong Gee and Tony Watkinson about different aspects of this magnificent triennial event. (Photo: Gary Yong Gee)

Vale – George Hermon Slade (1910-2002)

The orchid world has lost one of its truly great men with the passing of Hermon Slade on 26^th June. An authority on orchids, Hermon spent a lifetime devoted to his hobby and the advancement of our knowledge of them through a range of activities including philanthropy. We record a number of tributes from around the world.

Australian Orchid Council ‘Orchids of the Year 2001’ Nominations

AOC Registrar General of Judging, Colin Jennings, has provided details of the nominations from each State for the three categories of Orchids of the Year 2001. This is accompanied by the relevant photographs. The judges around the country have voted and the results will be ratified at the AOC’s Annual General Meeting in October. The winners will be published in our December issue, and shortly thereafter added to our website.

Selected Species – Maxillaria pseudoreichenheimiana

Our regular species expert, Peter Taylor, is back this issue with one of the more unusual orchids, often overlooked because of its relatively small flowers. Peter delves into the history of the species, its habitat and gives some tips on how to grow it in cultivation.

Underground Orchid Found in Path of Proposed Highway

Australia is home to a couple of most unusual orchids – they grow completely underground and poke their flower buds just through the soil surface where insects can pollinate them. Recently the underground growing species Rhizanthella slateri was rediscovered at Bulahdelah on the New South Wales central coast, right in the path of a proposed highway. Teenager Evan Carrall, aged 13, discovered the colony. The plant is now in the hands of CSIRO in Canberra, and the Scientific Committee of the National Parks and Wildlife Service is considering listing it as a "vulnerable" species. Two photographs accompany this story.

Research Identifies New Australian Orchid Species

Research carried out at the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, a joint venture of the Australian National Botanic Gardens and the CSIRO Plant Industry divisionl, has resulted in a rethink in the classification of the centre’s collection of King and Rock orchids, or what has been known as Dendrobium speciosum. The research and reclassification are explained by the experts. No doubt this research and its outcomes will be the cause of many arguments among orchid growers!

Recent Cymbidium Seedlings – Part 2

Peter Chiles continues his series on recent advancements in Cymbidium breeding and Dean Roesler has supplied eight superb photographs. Some of these are standards, mini and miniature, and are in a range of magnificent colours.

Planning for the 16^th Australian Orchid Conference and Show in 2003

Australia’s premier orchid event, the triennial Australian Orchid Conference, will be held in Adelaide in September 2003. We have a brief outline of the plans to date, the show and social events. The programme is now available. You can add your name to the mailing list by visiting the Conference page from the Main Menu on this website.

Pleurothallis Tuerckheimii

Rex Underwood and wife Lyn have just received an AOC Award of Commendation for their plant of this unusual species. At the time of judging the plant carried 96 racemes with an estimated 2200 flowers and buds. Rex describes his culture for bringing the plant to this superb state and has provided two great photographs to show us why it was awarded.

Plus… - 

All the regular features of: Latest list of Australian Orchid Council awards for 2002; Computer Corner,  what's winning at Shows around the country, Cultural Notes for various parts of Australia, and our list of upcoming International orchid events through to 2005. There is also a surprise for some lucky Australian subscriber - Orchids Australia free for one year, provided it is claimed in 14 days.