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Schomburgkia (now Myrmecophila) Species Jean and Tony Britton (Cumbria Orchid Society) Jean and Tony Britton’s Schomburgkia (Myrmecophila) In 2005 we travelled to Big Island, Hawaii which is the largest and most easterly of Hawaii’s islands. We visited the orchid nursery of Bill Bergström, Bergström Orchids, near Hilo on the east side of the island. The Hilo Orchid Society, currently chaired by Diane Luoma, is thriving and recruited 40 new members at their three day orchid show in this year. Among the many orchids that we admired during our visit to the nursery were schomburgkias. At the North of England Orchid Society show in 2007 we found a Schomburgkia being offered for sale by Regal Orchids. It grew well in our orchid house and doubled in size although there was no sign of flowering. However, we compared our plant to ones at Kew and realized that our specimen was reaching flowering size. Our Schomburgkia is grown in coconut husk with a minimum night-time temperature of 15°C and plenty of ventilation on warm days. It is watered as necessary with tap water 266 • OSGBJ 2010 (59), No. 4 (pH 6.5) and a proprietary feed in dilution. It has a hollow opening on one of its pseudobulbs and it is this one that has produced a flower spike. Bill Bergström mentioned that the hollow pseudobulbs of all his schomburgkias hosted colonies of ants although they did not seem to harm the orchids. This year our Schomburgkia produced a flower spike in May and now, 50cm tall, it has been flowering for over a month. Footnote by Sam Hurley: Schomburgkias are named for Sir Robert Schomburgk (1804-1865), a Prussian-born surveyor for the Royal Geographical Society of British Guiana and an extensive collector of botanical materials. They are found in open forests and valleys from southern Mexico to Cuba, Jamaica, Venezuela and Guyana. They grow as epiphytes and lithophytes, from low to mid elevation and in dry to damp conditions. They can grow to be large plants with some inflorescences up to 1.2m tall, with showy flowers that often have strongly curled petals and sepals. The pseudobulbs each have two or three leaves at the tip and are sometimes hollow. The hollow pseudobulbs evolved to provide a home to nectar-collecting ants which stuff them with all kinds of debris which may provide extra nutrients to the plant, as well as protect them from caterpillars. However ant-infested plants are less visited by pollinators which is a negative feature. The correct name for hollow pseudobulb schomburgkias is now Myrmecophilia which means ‘ant loving’, and the rest have gone to the genus Laelia.
From the Treasurer Sally Mill Subscriptions – With this issue of the Journal, you will receive a Membership Renewal Form for 2011. Subscriptions are as follows:- Single adult UK: £16 Persons aged under 21, UK only: £12 Single Europe: £20* Single Rest of World: £21* *Includes an increase for postage of £4 and £5 respectively. In each case, please add £4 for each additional family member. We would appreciate it if you could send your subscription to the Membership Secretary before the end of the year, so that your membership card can be sent with the next issue of the Journal. If you pay by Standing Order you will see that the renewal form has been over-stamped; you therefore need not take any action. Colour Fund – This fund was started many years ago to provide money for additional colour pictures in the Journal. It has now become of greater significance as the Society is producing an all-colour Journal with an increased number of colour photos. So, if you would like to help your Society to produce the much-improved all-colour Journal, please consider sending a contribution to the Colour Fund. Gift Aid – If you are eligible to join the Gift Aid scheme and have not already ticked the Gift Aid box, please tick the box on your Renewal Form and help your Society to reclaim tax from subscription money. Please also write your name in full at the top of your Renewal Form as the Gift Aid scheme requires this. Correspondence – I should appreciate it if members would enclose a stamped, addressed envelope with any correspondence that they send to the Treasurer or Membership Secretary. Schomburkia superbiens, now Laelia superbiens is another magnificent plant. OSGBJ 2010 (59), No. 4 • 267
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Page 3 and 4: Editor’s notes My apologies to th
Page 5 and 6: all provided by the SBG - imported
Page 8 and 9: Letter from the President the month
Page 10 and 11: Cattleyas - a pictorial guide to id
Page 12 and 13: Cattleyas Cattleya aclandiae w Lind
Page 14 and 15: Cattleyas Cattleya crispata w (Thun
Page 16 and 17: Cattleyas Cattleya intermedia w Gra
Page 18 and 19: Cattleyas Cattleya lueddemanniana ,
Page 20 and 21: Cattleyas Cattleya mossiae Cattleya
Page 22 and 23: Cattleyas 242 • OSGBJ 2010 (59),
Page 24 and 25: Cattleyas Cattleya schroederae ‘T
Page 26 and 27: Cattleyas Cattleya walkeriana w Gar
Page 28 and 29: A Different Look at Dracula Names S
Page 30 and 31: A Different Look at Dracula Names D
Page 36 and 37: Stanhopea tigrina var. aurea Brian
Page 38 and 39: Book Review Discovering New World O
Page 40 and 41: What’s in a name? Sam Hurley writ
Page 42 and 43: Northern Cyprus Holiday: March 2010
Page 44 and 45: OSGB Display at the Peterborough In
Page 48 and 49: Programme Secretary’s Report Iona
Page 51 and 52: Collection® until his untimely pas
Page 53 and 54: experience. Perhaps we may be seein
Page 55 and 56: Napier Hall Meetings Jeanette Beane
Page 57 and 58: Napier Hall Meetings Mike Penney’
Page 59 and 60: flowers open fully in a burst of br
Page 62 and 63: Photographic and Art Competition (D
Page 64 and 65: The Royal Horticultural Society Orc
Page 72 and 73: Advertisements Add a Touch of Elega
Page 74 and 75: Advertisements 294 • OSGBJ 2010 (
Page 76 and 77: Advertisements 296 • OSGBJ 2010 (
Page 78 and 79: Index to Volume 59 No.1, pp1-84; No
Page 80 and 81: Index to Volume 59 Dendrobium timor
Page 82 and 83: Services to members The Journal - p

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