Southern Suburbs Orchid Society Inc.

The SSOS April Members Virtual Vote competition saw 53 entries by 13 club members who competed in Novice (24 entries), Intermediate (19 entries) and Open Sections (10 entries). It is a time of the year to see Cattleya and Laelia hybrids begin to flower. Below some of the images which members provided for the competition. View all entries at our April 2022 page on our What’s Flowering section of our website.

Novice Section

Miltonia spectabilis [Grower: A Randle]

Gomesa radicans [Grower: T Hill]

Vanda Pakchong Blue [Grower: V Hayes]

Intermediate Section

Masdevallia Southern Comfort ‘Mini Tiger’ [Grower: S Craven]

Laelia Cattleya Angel Heart Pink Cloud [Grower: L Bunning]

Cymbid Sundaani Autumn ‘Sunrise’ [Grower: M Caruana]

Open Section

Cattleya El Patio ‘Limecool’ x Cattleya El Patio ‘Orangeade’ [Grower: E Kelly]

Cattleya Ollies’ Folly [Grower: C Trainor]

Bulbophyllum ‘fascinator’ x Bulb. ‘frostii’ [Grower: E Kelly]

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The SSOS April Members Virtual Vote competition saw 53 entries by 13 club members who competed in Novice (24 entries), Intermediate (19 entries) and Open Sections (10 entries). It is a time of the year to see Cattleya and Laelia hybrids begin to flower. The winners are:

Cattleya Elizabeth Calov ‘#1’ [Grower: C Trainor]

Cattleya Rlc Golden Kaleidoscope x Rlc Brunswick Gem Coral [Grower: J Summers]

Coelogyne Colmanii [Grower: M Fraraccio]

Miltonia bluntii [Grower: A Randle]

Open Section: Cattleya Elizabeth Calov #1 [Grower: C Trainor]
Intermediate Section: Cattleya Rlc Golden Kaleidoscope x Rlc Brunswick Gem Coral [Grower: J Summers] and
a two-way tie in Novice between Coelogyne Colmanii [Grower: M fraraccio] and Miltonia bluntii [Grower: A Randle]

Well done everyone!

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At the beginning of March SSOS held its first in-house flowering competition and towards the end of the month, its March virtual voting competition.

• March appears to be a time to see miltonias, rossioglossums and masdevallias in flower, as well as some early cymbidiums in flower. Here is a sample of what flowered. To view all, go to our What’s Flowering in 2022 – March page.

Rossioglossum grande (‘Leanne’ x ‘Joe’) #1 [Grower: C Trainor]

Miltonia moreliana ‘Campbell’ [Grower: C Trainor]

Miltonia Guanabara [Grower: J Derham]

Rossioglossum Grande ‘Kings Park’ x ‘Leanne’ [Grower: J Derham]

Miltonia Tropic Skies Mauve [Grower: H Formica]

Masdevallia ‘Dazzler Ruth’ [Grower: S Craven]

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Members of the SSOS met at the N.G. Wishart Hall, Moorabbin on Wednesday, 6th April 2022. The topic for the evening was a member’s Q&A, with many vexing questions which were answered under the guidance of Craig Trainor and/or our fellow members. The following are the winners for the night.

Novice:

Sarc Velvet Mist [Grower: V Hayes]

Den Mingles Sapphire x Gonzales Babylon [Grower: V Hayes]

Cattleya Lc Mini Le Purple Tamami [Grower: V Hayes]

Lc Seagulls delight ‘Hawaii’ [Grower: M Fraraccio]

Masdevallia ‘Lightning Stripes’ [Grower: H Jeffery]

Miltonia clowesii [Grower: M Fraraccio]

Zygo Artur Elle x ‘Elfin Jade’ [Grower: A Randle]

Brassidium Gilded Urchin ‘Ontario’ [Grower: V Hayes]

Oncostele Tiger Crow ‘Golden Girl’ [Grower: V Cinege]

Oncidium Wildcat ‘Red Star’ [Grower: V Hayes]

Miltonia Guanabara [Grower: M Fraraccio]

Intermediate:

Epi Orange Flame [Grower: L Bunning]

Cat Caudebec SC Batemannia Belle Tragent x Betty [Grower: J Summers]

Epi Wedding Valley ‘Sakura Komach’ [Grower: L Bunning]

Masdevallia Pumila x Floribunda [Grower: S Nash]

Miltonia Regnelli x Anne Warne [Grower: S Nash]

Rossioglossum ‘Babylon Hawk’ [Grower: M Caruana]

Open:

Oncidium Inferno [Grower: C Trainor]

Cattleya ‘Dream Cloud’ [Grower: C Trainor]

Rossioglossum grande [Grower: C Trainor]

Seedling Paph dianthum (‘P&R’ x’M P’) [Grower: C Trainor]

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Another virtual voting competition has been and gone, and once again SSOS members found it difficult to agree on which flowering orchid was best (especially in Novice section) but it’s time to announce the winners:

Paphiopedilum dianthum (‘P&R’ x ‘Mostachio Pete’) [Grower: C Trainor]

Masdevallia ‘Dazzler Ruth’ [Grower: S Craven]

• Open Section: Paphiopedilum dianthum (‘P&R’ x Mostachio Pete) – [Grower: C Trainor]
• Intermediate Section: Masdevallia ‘Dazzler Ruth’ [Grower: S Craven]

But, it was a four-way tie for Novice Section entries.

Dendrobium speciosum alba [Grower: A Randle]

Cattleya Hawaiian Wedding Song ‘Virgin’ [Grower: M Fraraccio]

Beallara Memoria ‘Donald Yamada’ [Grower: J Derham]

Rossioglossum Grande ‘Kings Park’ x ‘Leanne’ [Grower: J Derham]

• Dendrobium speciosum alba [Grower: A Randle]
• Cattleya Hawaiian Wedding Song ‘Virgin’ [Grower: M Fraraccio]
• Beallara Memoria ‘Donald Yamada’ [Grower: J Derham]
• Rossioglossum Grande ‘Kings Park’ x ‘Leanne’ [Grower: J Derham]

Congratulations to all of the winners!

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On Wednesday 2nd March, 2022, SSOS held its first in-house meeting for the year. The judges results for the night resulted with:

Cattleya pumila var ‘coerulea’ | Judges Vote | Best in Open | Laeliinae species | C Trainor

Epi Comet Valley ‘Orange’ | Best in Intermediate | Laeliinae Alliance – Cluster Type Hybrid | S Craven

LC Bernadine Kennedy ‘White Jewel’ Best in Novice | Laeliinae Alliance Large Flowered Hybrid | V Hayes

• Best in Open Section and the Judges Vote: Cattleya Pumila ‘Coerulea’ [Grower: C Trainor]
• Best in Intermediate Section: Epi Comet Valley ‘Orange’ [Grower: S Craven
• Best in Novice Section: LC Bernadine Kennedy ‘White Jewel’ [Grower: V Hayes]

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The February virtual competition for 2022 was again, a ‘quiet’ time for flowering orchids, but still a time to see a few more gongora and stanhopea flowers. Apart from some other unusual orchids, it is a sunny time of the year and a good flowering time for epi’s or epidendrums, of various colours. Members provided 45 wonderful flowering orchids which made for difficult decisions when voting.

• There were plenty of Epi’s to choose from

Epidendrum Wedding Valley ‘Sakura Konach’ [Grower: T Liston]

Epidendrum Pacific Sparkler ‘Fireworks’ [Grower: C Trainor]

Epidendrum Orange Flame [Grower: T Liston]

Epidendrum ibaguense ‘Orange’ [Grower: E Kelly]

Epidendrum denticulatum [Grower: T Liston]

Epidendrum Red [Grower: L Bunning]

Epi ‘Purple Queen’ [Grower: L Bunning]

Epidendrum Pink [Grower: A Randle]

Epidendrum Hot Pink [Grower: A Randle]

Epi Topaz Butterball Beacon [Grower: H Jeffery]

• And some more unusual summertime flowering orchids

Oncidium Sharry Baby ‘Sweet Fragrance’ [Grower: T Liston]

Cattleya pumila ‘Hot Lips’ [Grower: C Trainor]

Brassavola cucullata [Grower: C Trainor]

Wilsonara Pacific Panache ‘Dorothy Jean’ [Grower: S Craven]

Stanhopea nigroviolacea [Grower: T Hill]

Prom Rollinsani x Culmaniai [Grower: H Jeffery]

Neofinetia falcata [Grower: T Hill]

Encyclia Cochleata [Grower: H Jeffery]

Dendrobium Aussie’s Tapestry v McGraith [Grower: V Hayes]

Coelogyne Speciosa Incarta [Grower: H Jeffery]

Visit the February Flowering page to see all 45 entries.

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Southern Suburbs Orchid Society ran its members-only February virtual voting contest and as usual, there were lots of orchids to choose from. Below are the winners by member section.

Stanhopea tigrina [Grower: A Randle]

Burrageara ‘Nelly Isler’ [Grower: S Craven]

Cattleya Jungle Beau ‘Velvet Lip’ [Grower: C Trainor]

Novice Section: Stanhopea tigrina [Grower:A Randle]
Intermediate Section: Burrageara ‘Nelly Isler’ [Grower: S Craven]
Open Section: Cattleya Jungle Bean ‘Velvet Lip’ [Grower: C Trainor]

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The first competition for 2022 was a member’s virtual voting competition. Members provided 48 wonderful flowering orchids which made for difficult decisions when voting. Here is an example of the wide variety shown in January.

Gongora galeata [Grower: T Liston]

Prosthechea prismatocorpa [Grower: V Hayes]

Odontia Futuresque ‘Gloria’ [Grower: J Derham]

Cattleya Rosella Tokyo ‘Hot Lips’ x Hawaiian Wedding Song ‘Virgin’ [Grower: M Fraraccio]

Prom Rollinsani x Culmaniai [Grower: H Jeffery]

Stanhopea Bellarensis HCC/OSCOV [Grower: V Hayes]

Miltoniopsis Breathless ‘Brilliant’ [Grower: S Craven]

Dendrobium Gerald McCraith [Grower: E Kelly]

Vanda Pakchong bluee [Grower: V Hayes]

Brassia verrucosa [Grower: V Hayes]

Oncidium uniflorum [Grower: J Derham]

Coelogyne Tomentosa [Grower: T Liston]

Dendrochilum filiforme [Grower: S Craven]

Rhyncholaeliocattleya Crowfield Mendenhall [Grower: V Hayes]

Oncidium Alliance – Dancing Lady [Grower: H Jeffery]

Visit the January Flowering page to see all 48 entries.

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Stanhopea orchids are also known as the ‘upside-down orchid’, as they flower from the bottom of a hanging basket. These beauties shown here, have had a wonderful time flowering in Melbourne this year. The humid conditions in a normally dry-heat summer climate in Melbourne has turned these into wonderful flowering beauties.

• Here are thirteen stanhopeas which featured in our January 2022 virtual voting competition.

Stanhopea Nigroviolacea [Grower: C Scerri]

Stanhopea Nigroviolacea [Grower: T Liston]

Stanhopea nigroviolacea [Grower: H Formica]

Stanhopea nigroviolacea ‘Bentleigh’ [Grower: M Fraraccio]

• The Stanhopea nigroviolacea species orchid, as indicated above, is native to the eastern slopes of the Mexican plateau at 1200-2000 metres. It produces two or three massive flowers each up to 17cm across. The nigroviolacea is the heaviest of all orchid flowers and its powerful vanilla perfume would fill a room – or empty it, depending on your perfume predilection!

Stanhopea tigrina [Grower: H Formica]

Stanhopea tigrina [Grower: C Scerri]

Stanhopea tigrina [Grower: A Randle]

• Stanhopea tigrina (as shown above), is another species, first discovered around Mexico and Guatemala in 1839. This flower is clearly distinct with dotted tiger stripes.

Stanhopia Spindleriana [Grower: T Liston]

Stanhopea Spindleriana [Grower: H Formica]

Stanhopea Spindleriana [Grower: T Hill]

Stanhopea Spindleriana [Grower: A Randle]

• The Stanhopea Spindleriana is an orchid hybrid originated by Spindler in 1890. It is a crossing of Stanhopea oculata x and Stanhopea tigrina. It is considered a “primary hybrid”, because it is a cross between two species. Highly fragrant, its perfume is a heady mix between vanilla and marshmallow.

Stanhopea tigrina x oculata [Grower: E Kelly]

Stanhopea Bellarensis HCC/OSCOV [Grower: V Hayes]

• The Stanhopea oculata is an elegant species that occurs in mountain forests at 1000-3000 metre elevations at a long sequence from Mexico through central America to Brazil. Its leopard-like spotting is recognizable by the slender, bent hypochile, with a clear internal right-angle.
• Bellarensis is a hybrid of Stanhopea oculata and Stanhopea insignis. Insignis is a Brazilian species, which shows two or three big fleshy flowers, to 14cm across; sometimes a positive yellow, with red-purple and; often described as having a scent similar to that of licorice. It first flowered in Kew (UK) in 1828.

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• The descriptions provided above are from Barney Greer’s The Astonishing Stanhopeas: The Upside-down orchids. (Publ. Sydney 1998)