European Orchid Congress 2018 - European Orchid Council
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EOCCE: CONFERENCE REPORT
Sarah Forsyth
Peter Sander
European Orchid
Congress 2018
3
Peter Sander
Sarah Forsyth reports on the European Orchid Council’s latest
Conference & Exhibition (EOCCE), held in Paris, 22–25 March.
Peter Sander discusses some of the major trophy winners and
shares the orchid memories stirred by the winning plants and exhibits 2 4
T
HE 18TH European Orchid off the twisted, twiggy stems, on
Sarah Forsyth
Congress was held in Paris, curving metal stuctures. These were
over four days, 22–25 March arranged to create vistas and frame
2018. A large scale orchid show with groupings of flowers in similar shades.
more than 30 nurseries, from across Many of their historic Paphiopedilum
Europe, and further afield, filled hybrids were included. They won a
the Paris Convention Centre with Gold medal, Best Large Display, and
imaginative displays of exotic orchids Grand Champion Display (further
from all around with world. There details follow in Peter’s report).
were also educational displays, a Reserve Grand Champion Display,
photography competition, a floral art Best Small Display, and a Gold medal
exhibition, and a seperate area for the were won by Hans Christensen from
Scientific Conference lectures. The Denmark (p80). He used soft, open
Centre was reminiscent of an aircraft weave sack cloth to conceal pots
hanger, with no natural light, and on and props. A new hybrid Dendrobium
the first day snow lay heaped around Mtn’s Butterfly Kisses (D. cuthbertsonii
the building. It had been swept against x D. sulawesiense) was displayed on
the walls to clear the surrounding car top of a short column, orange-to-pink
park, and the frozen snow ‘drifts’ flowered, and is featured in Rudolf
encircled the Centre. Once inside, all Jenny’s article on Unusual orchids
thoughts of this return of the ‘Beast on show at the EOCCE (p86).
from the East’ weather system were
forgotten as visitors were transported Grand Champion Orchids
to more tropical realms. Writhlington School Orchid Project
1&2 Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, won Grand were the only UK exhibitor. They
Champion Display with an elegant exhibit in
muted shades of gold, green, pink and white Grand Champion Display staged a wonderful, Gold medal-
3 Historic hybrid Paphiopedilum Cappamanga Jardin du Luxembourg, owned by winning display of species grown
‘Frederick K Sander’ was registered in 1921 the French Senate, won this coveted by the pupils, including the Grand
4 Cymbidium sanderae was named in 1904 and trophy, with a muted, elegant display. Champion Orchid, Oncidium cristatum
1 has been used in the breeding of many hybrids
A ‘mulch’ of golden vermiculite set (syn. Odontoglossum cristatum), which ➤
76 June 2018 June 2018 77
EOCCE: CONFERENCE REPORT
crowned their exhibit at the top of
Sarah Forsyth
Sarah Forsyth
an oak trunk, clothed in moss and
orchids. The plant won the trophies
for Grand Champion Orchid, Best
Species, and Best Oncidiinae.
They also won First and Second
rosettes for their Coelogyne cristata
and C. holochila respectively. Firsts for
Epidendrum parkinsonianum and Phalae-
nopsis mannii, three other Second places
and a Third. They had more winning
plants than any other exhibitor.
Pupils gave demonstrations of
orchid seed sowing using a laminar
flow cabinet, and several display
towers gave information about the
work of the project. The team, aged
15 to 17, and ex-pupils now in higher
education, were enjoying the Easter
holidays, and took the opportunity
to promote the upcoming British
Orchid Council Show & Congress,
to be held at Writhlington School
8 November 2–4 (see News p73).
The Grand Champion Hybrid was
Dendrobium x delicatum, shown by
5 Writhlington School’s Gold medal-winning stand also won a total of 14 plant trophies and rosettes
6 An impressive, white-flowered Coelogyne cristata effectively filled one corner of the stand French orchid nursery La Canopée,
7 The team (back row, l–r) James Stewart, Jess Buckle, Tallis Inger–Flecker, Abigail Baldwin, who also received a Gold medal for
Charlotte Limond, (front row, l–r) Simon Pugh Jones, Chloe McGiveron and ex-pupil Jacob Coles their unusual exhibit, which included
8&9 Grand Champion Orchid, Oncidium cristatum (syn. Odontaglossum cristatum) a tri-porteur (a three-wheeled cargo
5 10 This large, well-flowered Epidendrum parkinsonianum came first in the Laeliinae Species category
bike). Dendrobium x delicatum is a
naturally occurring hybrid, from
Sarah Forsyth
Sarah Forsyth
Sarah Forsyth
Sarah Forsyth
9 Australia, and the cross is widely
remade in cultivation. The plant
awarded measured at least 1m across
and was covered in scented blooms.
Also on the exhibit was trophy-
2nd BEST LAELIA winning, dusky pink Lycaste Denley.
Gold medal exhibits
BEST LAELIA Other top quality exhibits awarded
SPECIES Gold medals included Belgian orchid
nursery L’Amazone, whose exhibit
included two trophy-winning plants,
Paphiopedilum Wössner Vietnam
Star and Prosthecea Synergistic Dream
(P. prismatocarpa x P. cochleata). Akerne
Orchids, also from Belgium, exhibited
a trophy-winner, magenta Masdevallia
uniflora on their Gold medal-winning
6 7 9 10 stand. La Cour des Orchidées from ➤
78 June 2018 June 2018 79
EOCCE: CONFERENCE REPORT
Sarah Forsyth
Sarah Forsyth
11 12
France won a Gold, and a trophy Scientific Conference fungi, a strategy called mixotrophy.
Sarah Forsyth
Sarah Forsyth
for their Cymbidium madidum (also The theme of the two-day conference Barbara Gravendeel gave the
in the Unusual orchids on show at was What Future for Orchids? The keynote genomics lecture, looking
the EOCCE article p86). French 28 lectures were grouped into four at how new DNA data generated by
nursery Vacherot & Lecoufle won half-day sessions: Conservation technological innovations can be used
a Gold medal for their elegant exhibit and restoration in a changing word; to reveal more about the evolution of
(more detail about this follows in Ecology of mutualism; Orchids in the orchids and the relationships between
Peter’s report). era of genomics; and Biotechnology species. In the biotechnology and
and breeding. Speakers in the breeding session, keynote speaker
Other plants and stands of note conservation session addressed how Hong-Hwa Chen revealled the DNA
One trophy-winning plant was not on best to respond to the challenges analysis techniques being used to
a Gold medal-winning stand, Vanda facing orchids in the wild today. enable scented Phalaenopsis breeding.
ampullacea ‘Dario’, was shown by the Keynote speaker,Tiiu Kull, focussed
Federazione Italiana Orchidee, who on the status of European slipper Posters
won a Silver medal. The Eric Young orchid Cypripedium calceolus, and An impressive total of 59 posters
14
Orchid Foundation staged an encouraged reintroduction projects. presented the work of researchers
impressive display of cut flower The mutualism session looked at from around the world. The judges
Cymbidium and other orchids, but the interactions between orchids chose the best three, and prize money 11 Hans Christiansen nursery, Denmark, won the Best Small
Display trophy, with soft sacking draped around pots and props
asked not to be judged as they were and various organisms ranging from and certificates were awarded. A first
12 French nursery La Canopée won a Gold medal for their
the only stand exhibiting cut flowers. mycorrhizal soil fungi to pollinating prize of €500, kindly donated by display, which included two trophy-winning plants (13 & 14)
Lists of all the medals, trophies and insects. The keynote lecture, given EOC Secretary General Rudolf Jenny, 13 Best Hybrid trophy, and Best Dendrobium, was awarded to
rosettes are available on the European by Marc-André Selosse, discussed was presented at the Gala Dinner, to a large, scented Dendrobium x delicatum shown by La Canopée
Orchid Council website: www.european green-leaved orchids that have been Alexander Gamisch for his poster 14 Dusky pink Lycaste Denley on the La Canopée stand won
13 the trophy for Best Lycastinae / Maxillaiinae / Zygopetalinae
orchidcouncil.eu under the EOCCE tab. found to be partially dependent on explaining how Time-Dependent ➤
80 June 2018 June 2018 81
EOCCE: CONFERENCE REPORT
Diversification Under High Species artists contributed to the incredible The conference and exhibition was
Sarah Forsyth
Sarah Forsyth
Turnover Shapes Species Richness decor. Le Train Bleu was classified well attended with more than 7,000
Disparities Among Tropical as a Historic Monument in 1972, and visitors in total, many buying plants
Rainforest Lineages of Bulbophyllum restored to its former glory in 2014. from the excellent range on offer.
(Orchideceae) On A Global Scale. The European Orchid Council
Other activities organizes a show and conference
Social events A one-day Cultivation Masterclass every three years. The 17th was
The Gala Dinner was held in the was held on Friday, with talks given in hosted by the RHS London Orchid
grand surroundings of Le Train Bleu French. In the afternoon, a European Show in 2015, with the Scientific
restaurant. Built in 1900 in the Belle Orchid Judging Symposium gave Conference at the Royal Botanic
Époque style, similar to Art Nouveau, judges an opportunity to compare Gardens, Kew. The location for
the ornate dining room is decorated different systems of judging. An the next Congress was confirmed
with gilded carvings and mouldings, Orchid Editor’s Forum took place on at the EOC Annual General Meeting 19
chandeliers and frescoes. A total of 27 Saturday, which also proved fruitful. in Paris as being Copenhagen 2021,
so put May 6 to 9 in your diary now! 15 L’Amazone Orchidées from Belgium
Sarah Forsyth
staged an elegant display, which included
A Sentimental Journey two trophy-winning plants (16, 17)
16 Paphiopedilum Wössner Vietnam Star
Peter Sander won the trophy for Best Slipper Orchid.
Returning to any place revives past 17 Trophy-winning Prosthechea Synergistic
memories and the beautiful city of Dream (P. prismatocarpa x P. cochleata)
Paris is no exception. In the early 18 Akerne Orchids, also from Belgium, won
a Gold medal for their exhibit of well grown
1960s the secretary of the French species and hybrids, including a trophy winner
Horticultural Society, Maurice 19 Belgian nursery Akerne’s trophy-winning,
Fromage, was a friend of my father, 18 magenta-flowered Masdevallia uniflora
David. They arranged exchange visits
for my sister and Maurice’s daughter, arranged bowls of fine Phalaenopsis, with a dash of P. druryi. Paphiopedilum this species, which grows at 1,200
Adeline. I was smitten with Adeline, and many other species and hybrids. David Sander, named for my father, –1,500m, would surely die in an
and arranged that the next visitor to Rising from the grey tiled floor has similar parentage. This hybrid list, Oncidium greenhouse. He would
Paris would be me! During that visit were vertical corner tiers decked the first volume of 14, which only the have feasted his eyes on the 90cm
Maurice drove me and Adeline to with a wide range of quality plants. orchid family can boast, is so useful globe of pure white Coelygyne cristata
Boissy St Leger, to see the marvellous The whole shone with the expected nearly 80 years after Great Uncle and a beautiful Epidendrum
Vacherot & Lecoufle nursery and excellence of this 19th century Fred hand wrote volume one. parkinsonianum hanging at eye-level.
deliver some plants. I was already orchid firm, still maintaining the Cymbidium sanderae also featured Like me, he would also have
accustomed to beautiful orchids, and highest standards in the 21st century. as a reminder of Micholitz’s orchid thrilled at the school’s extra curricular
my host’s French ‘fast-driving’ style, collecting for Great Uncle Fred’s activities, which include orchid
15 which my father had absorbed during Jardin du Luxembourg father, Frederick Sander the Orchid growing and exhibiting, conservation,
his Belgian upbringing, so my lasting The French senate’s Jardin du King, and the contribution this Cym- breeding, managing finances and
memory was Mademoiselle Fromage! Luxembourg staged a wonderfully bidium has had in future hybridizing. winning medals. As a past Royal
Sarah Forsyth
Sarah Forsyth
subtle display of their historic Warrant Holder, a worrier about the
Vacherot & Lecoufle Paphiopedilum hybrids, and other Writhlington School orchid world’s future, and a friend of
Well over 50 years later, visiting the interesting species, so winning the I try to see orchid shows through Keith Andrew (who mentored Simon
2018 EOCCE at the Paris Convention trophy for Grand Champion Display. the species-loving eyes of my father. Pugh Jones) he would have lauded the
Centre, the beautiful Vacherot & The illuminated substance of Paph- He would have loved Writhlington efficacy of teacher Simon Pugh Jones
Lecoufle exhibit, constructed by the iopedilum Cappamagna ‘Frederick K School Orchid Project’s exhibit. and the MBE he was awarded in 2012.
next two generations of the family, Sander’ shone beautifully; a complex But he would have wanted to change
Philippe Lecoufle and his daughter hybrid involving four species. A glance the label of their Grand Champion Orchideengarten Karge
Colomb, gave typical Vacherot & in the eponymous Great Uncle Fred’s Orchid from the currently accepted, The Dresden show coincided with
Lecoufle Gold medal joy. Sanders Complete List of Orchid Hybrids Oncidium cristatum, to it’s previous, the EOCCE which was apparently
The central focus was an Angraecum (1856–1946), reveals this hybrid has name Odontoglossum cristatum. With sadly unavoidable. Exhibitors chose
sesquipedale flanked by beautifully- almost equal doses of P. spicerianum, multiple arched spikes, perched on one or other, but family-run German
16 17 grown, colour coordinated, tastefully P. insigne var. Sanderae and P. villosum a 2.4m vertical driftwood oak trunk, nursery Orchideengarten Karge ➤
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EOCCE: CONFERENCE REPORT
managed to attend both, with Marei La Canopée specimen of Dendrobium x delicatum, Eric Young Orchid Foundation these plants so well, packing and
Karge Liphard coming south while French nursery La Canopée won Best awarded Grand Champion Hybrid. EYOF produced a fine exhibit of 160 transporting them to Paris still in
sending her parents east. Her exhibit Small Display, and incorporated a The parents of this natural hybrid, cut flower Cymbidium spikes. Jersey is peak condition is a huge tribute to
included a huge Cymbidium Gymer tri-porteur. It reminded me of cycling Dendrobium kingianum x D. speciosum not a member of the European Union Chris and the team he so ably leads.
‘Cooksbridge’ with 28 beautifully around the 40 hectares of Sander’s var. hillii grow in southern Queensland so exhibiting in France involves Minimising border control issues
flowered spikes, which won the Bruges nursery on a tri-porteur: and northern New South Wales, and expensive and inefficient beaurocracy reminded me of my father crossing
Best Cymbidium Hybrid rosette a painful business for a 10 year where their distribution overlaps the – Chris Purver, EYOF curator, the Swiss border at night in the 1960s
(see Contents p69). old! Their display included a lovely scented natural hybrid occurs. minimised CITES problems by using and agreeing with a customs officer
cut flowers and exhibited hybrids and that his plants were onions as he ran
Sarah Forsyth
Sarah Forsyth
species, using a small van rather than his finger down the tariff list stopping
the pantechnicon that would have short of orchidees – result: zero to pay!
been needed if he had bought all 23 While looking at this exhibit, I was
those standard Cymbidium plants. delighted to meet Mrs Dominy, a
On display were 80 grexes as well three atypically cold, snowy nights. direct descendant of John Dominy,
as many cultivars, plus four different Consequently he had a maximum breeder of the first man-made orchid
species, which included large arching of three hours sleep at a time to keep hybrid Calanthe Dominyi (C. masuca
spikes of Cymbidium lowianum var. candles burning and the van frost free x C. triplicata). It was made in 1853
21
lowianum, C. seidenfadenii, C. insigne – a devotion to duty which CITES at the suggestion of Exeter surgeon
and upright spikes of C. eburneum. policing has not always achieved. John Harris and registered in 1856
20 French nursery La Cour des Orchidées
won a Gold medal for their display which This concentration of scented Hearing this my father would have by Veitch. This hybrid, the first to
included a trophy-winning Cymbidium (21) blooms, exquisitely arranged produced had a wry smile, recalling the night be registered, has been highlighted
21 Cymbidium madidum won the trophy for a heavenly scent and the public were in 1956 when in the early hours, due in pen in my father’s copy of the first
Best Cyrtopodiinae for La Cour des Orchidées buzzing with admiration like bees. to boiler failure, he had to wake his Sanders Complete List of Orchid Hybrids
22 Vacherot & Lecoufle, from France, won
a Gold medal for a fine display of orchids In the 19th century, jungle raiders, friend, the manager of Woolworths (1856–1946), referred to earlier. n
23 Trophy-winning Vanda ampullacea ‘Dario’ exporting orchids to Europe, were in St Albans, to buy his entire stock
was exhibited by Federazione Italiana Orchidee often frustrated by ferry timetables. of candles and electric fires. What Sarah Forsyth is Editor of
24 Eric Young Orchid Foundation, Jersey, Chris had to leave Jersey three days orchid growers do, what they have The Orchid Review
staged an exhibit using cut flower stems of
Cymbidium hybrids with several species
before the Paris Convention Centre to do, for their dedication to orchids. Peter Sander is a member of
20
opened for exhibitors and cope with The work growing and flowering the RHS Orchid Committee
Sarah Forsyth
24
22
84 June 2018 June 2018 85
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