The Place for Ice

I had the delightful opportunity to work a few shifts at the information table at the Kansas City Orchid Show. A high percentage of individuals introduced themselves like this: "Hi, I bought an orchid about six months ago and I've been giving it three ice cubes like the instructions said. Why isn't it blooming?" Always diplomatic, I discussed how the ice cubes help avoid over-watering, but invite other problems like root shock and under-watering. It works for some people, but I heard some sad orchid tales during my time at the table. I always suggested that the way to overcome the death of an orchid was to buy another or three.

Masdevallia Highland Monarch

There might be a place for ice, however, with cool-growing orchids. We bought a large used aquarium from Pet World wherein we placed our two Masdevallias. They want good light, high humidity, and temperatures ranging from 50-65 F. The aquarium is working out so far, but it's difficult to get it nice and cold. I've been adding two cups of ice twice a day and that's managed to keep the temperature about 5-7 degrees cooler than inside the house. It's a start. The summer will pose additional challenges, but I'm sure Lan Lan and Sabine will have something figured out by then.

Back from Surgery

Riley, post-operation, with a kitty IV tube

Riley sailed through surgery yesterday morning and spent the night recovering at the Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital. They recovered a dime-sized bladder stone that had been causing him all sorts of pain. Trixie visited him yesterday and, when he got to say hello, he toppled over and his face fell into the food bowl. Poor little freak! He tried to meow, but could barely manage it. This morning was a different story. Riley truly looked forward to returning home and was telling everyone within a wide radius his sad plight.

We let him adjust alone for some hours and then released him into the general population. Emboldened with new freedom, he went upstairs and promptly fell asleep on the bed next to Lan Lan. Griffin joined them a few hours later.


We were worried that Riley would have to wear one of those funny cones and that the other kitties would make fun of him. He has stitches, but no cone. He's already eating, scratching the scratching post, and acting cute. We're looking forward to a speedy recovery.

Poor Little Guy!

The Cats and Catts house requests that you send Riley your best thoughts, wishes, and prayers because he's undergoing surgery Tuesday to remove a bladder stone. He's also having two teeth extracted. All in all, it's been a rough time for the little guy. The kitties are rallying around him in support (or so we imagine).

Griffin & Riley, Best Friends

We're really thankful for our vet, Dr. Olson, at the Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital in Lawrence for his expert care and bedside manner. Trixie and I really appreciated his willingness to explain Riley's problems.

ultrasound arrow points to Riley's bladder stone

Riley is sometimes the worst kitty in the house and sometimes the cutest kitty in the house, but today he's definitely the saddest kitty. We're going to do our best to make him comfortable until Tuesday's surgery and we ask you to keep him in your thoughts. 

Scary Spice

Lan Lan wandered into the frame and created a frightening scene. As the photographer, it was a bit like being in a shark cage and having one of the weirdest sharks in the ocean swipe at you. She was circling around Paph. spicerianum 'Green Mystery' x 'Mallingham' HCC/AOS from Windy Hill Gardens. This is an extremely cute species. The jade pouch and fringed petals are cool, but the flower's white dorsal with the regal red stripe is its main drama. It's hard to see in the photo, but the dorsal sepal looks diamond-dusted, catching the light in a particularly magnificent way.

Paph. spicerianum 'Green Mystery' x 'Mallingham' HCC/AOS

Harold Koopowitz's Tropical Slipper Orchids has a thorough description of this species. He reports that Paph. spicerianum is named after someone named Lady Spicer and it's a key species for complex-standard hybrids, and -- more so than most other Paph. species -- the dorsal reflexes, or falls forward, a short time after opening. According to Koopowitz, the sloped dorsal is a good quality, evolutionarily speaking, because it creates a gutter for rainwater to run off the back of the flower. This is poor quality, however, from a showing/judging perspective because a straight dorsal reveals the flower in its full glory. Is this flower more beautiful when it's showcasing its functionality compared to when the dorsal is straight and flat? Lan Lan prefers the former and I favor the latter, but we both agree that it's a super awesome flower and one we'll both be keeping our eyes on.  

Frog Friday! Ambrosia

With only a few hours of Friday left, it feels like I'm filing my report right against the deadline. This week, San Francisco somehow managed to crawl onto the mounted Ludisia discolor for a nice view of the vivarium and her fellow frogs. This is my second Ludisia from Michel Orchid Nursery and it's extra special. It's the clone 'Ambrosia' JC/AOS and the flowers have an incredible cinnamon smell. (You can buy your own here). I smelled 'Ambrosia' in bloom at the Kansas City Orchid Show and immediately knew I had to have it. I'm not sure if it's blooming size, but at least San Francisco is enjoying it in the meantime. The plant looks a little stressed and it might take a few more weeks to adjust to its new location, but the other Ludisia is the only orchid that hasn't died in vivarium so I'm going to stay the course for now. Happy Friday!

Solving for [(Makuli - Curtisii) - Maudiae x Maudiae 'Napa Valley' HCC/AOS x sib]

You may recall my lust for Windy Hill's Paph. Maudiae 'Bankhouse' AM/AOS and my desire to purchase a Maudiae type for my collection. I found my Maudiae, in bud, from Bird's Botanicals. It's starting to look gorgeous, but the pouch needs to fill out more.

It's Paph. Hsinying Makakun, but you would never know that from reading the tag. The tag reads: (Makuli - Curtisii) - Maudiae x Maudiae 'Napa Valley' HCC/AOS x sib. Got that? I was confused, too, so I went to the Internet. This is a very popular plant, I discovered, but everyone is selling it under the confusing tag.

A thread on the Slipper Orchid Forum clarified things for me. First, some orchid vendors from Asian countries use dashes to indicate a cross. Also, Paph. curtisii is now called Paph. superbiens var. curtisii. From there, John Marcotte of OrchidsCanada.com explains that the tag should read:
 
Paph. ((Makuli x superbiens var. curtisii) x Maudiae) x (Paph. Maudiae 'Napa Valley' HCC/AOS x sib.)

Marcotte clarifies further: 
Makuli x superbiens var. curtisii =
Paph. Memoria Allegria Gutierrez

Paph. Memoria Allegria Gutierrez x Paph. Maudiae = Paph. Janet Kunkle

So, the pod parent is Paph. Janet Kunkle and the pollen parent is Paph. Maudiae 'Napa Valley' HCC/AOS x sib. 

Finally, Janet Kunkle x Maudiae is registerd as Paph. Hsinying Majakun. Problem solved!

So, why does the tag creator insist on the Napa Valley word salad? I can think of a few reasons. First, by tagging the plant simply as Paph. Hsinying Majakun it fails to convey to the consumer that the awarded clone Paph. Maudiae 'Napa Valley' HCC/AOS is in the background. But how important is a 40-year-old HCC, and why not list the plant as: Paph. Janet Kunkle x Paph. Maudiae 'Napa Valley' HCC/AOS x sib?  Maybe listing "Maudiae" twice on the tag reinforces the idea that consumers are getting a Maudiae type Paph?

In any case, I feel bad for Ching Hua (the originator of the cross) and Hsinying Majakun, so I'm making a second tag.

"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."

Competitive flower shows are a lot like Conan the Barbarian. Orchid hobbyists that talk like members of Thulsa Doom's cult, plants with names like 'Sorcerer's Apprentice,' and the occasional bloom beheading are all part of the experience. It's natural and obvious that violent scenes from Conan should race through my mind when I see my plants adorned with award ribbons. Right?

On the other hand, my "enemies" are likely my friends from the Orchid Society, or the vendors from whom I shop, or the nice folks from out-of-state Orchid Societies. I'll see most of them next month, if not sooner, so the "see them driven before you" thing doesn't quite ring true. And the "lamentations of their women" line seems as weird and inappropriate as it did in 1982. 

So, maybe the Conan/orchid comparison needs more thought.

Griffin, Sabine, and Riley guarding the Brassavola

Although I have no tongue for it, my pleas to Crom were answered and my Brassavola Little Stars 'Yasuji Takasaki' had a great run this winter (check out Sabine's maintenance of it last year). It won Plant of the Month at my Orchid Society and a blue ribbon for the Brassavola class (and a white ribbon for specimen plant) at the Kansas City Orchid Show. Whoo! The last two flowers opened today and I've instructed the kitties to tend to it until next year's adventures.    

Winding Down from Kansas City

Den. Roy Tokunaga
grower/exhibitor Mark Prout

As usual, I have the least amount of time to write when I have the greatest amount of material to write about. The Kansas City Orchid Show was last week and it was a remarkable success by all accounts. Three of our Society members won AOS awards, several won show awards, and my B. Little Stars won a blue ribbon for Brassovolas and a white ribbon for specimen plants. The out of town guests and vendors seemed to have a good time, too.

I didn't take enough photos. I had four days, but they were busy days and I didn't have many opportunities for a lengthy photo session. And I had to shop. A Maudiae type Paph. in the Windy Hill exhibit at the St. Louis show was totally mesmerizing and I've been looking for one since. I found one in bud -- not the same Windy Hill one, but something that would satisfy the craving for the time being. I'll have photos soon! 

Nobby's Griffin

Griffin was posing like a super model today so I took a few photos. Here, she's framed by a spike from Phal. Nobby's Amy and a pseudobulb from a mounted Rvc. David Sander. She looks like Dr. Zhivago Kitty with the snow in the background, and that over-the-shoulder look is classic Griffin. One might get the impression that she's a good and normal cat from this picture, and sometimes I think she might be.

Moss People Invade St. Louis

The exhibit organizers were going for a Mayan theme, but sometimes it felt like Nilbog from the movie Troll 2, a place taken over by goblins who turn people into plants. But who invaded St. Louis and turned the ancient Mayans into moss people? I don't think it's trolls, since there weren't any in Troll 2. Goblins seem equally implausible. My best guess is that members of the Red Hat Society are behind it, but I lack solid proof.

Cybidium Desert Sand

The moss people were a nice touch and a reminder that orchid displays involve more than stacking up a bunch of plants. A lot of the conversational snippets I overheard centered on the moss displays instead of the plants. I suppose that's okay, especially if an appreciation of the moss artistry leads people to look the orchids surrounding it. Still, I had a sneaking suspicion that the Red Hat ladies were injecting unsuspecting tourists with green moss, and that we  could become moss people if we walked too close to a pack of Red Hats. It was a scary thought.