Journal Number 100
August 2006

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GROUPS

A.N.O.S. Victorian Group
Helene Wild (Life Member and current Editor of the Bulletin)

We have some pretty amazing orchids here in Victoria but, because we are situated at the cooler south-eastern corner of our island continent, they are predominantly terrestrial - lots of Caladenia, Pterostylis and Thelymitra spp. as well as Acianthus and Cyrtostylis, Calochilus, Chiloglottis, Corybas, Cryptostylis, Diuris, Genoplesium and Prasophyllum, Microtis, and several other genera each with just a few representatives.  We share some terrestrials with you New Zealanders, but we have scores of beautiful and fascinating species you won't ever get to see at home.

Only five epiphytes grow naturally in Victoria, namely Dendrobium speciosum var. speciosum, Dockrillia striolata, Plectorrhiza tridentata, Sarcochilus australis and S. falcatus.  

With around 450 single and family memberships, A.N.O.S. Victorian Group is one of the largest native orchid societies in Australasia.  We like to think the popularity of the group reflects our interesting and well run meetings, the willingness of members to share information, and the wide range of activities that we organise each month. Country, interstate and overseas visitors are always welcome at our monthly meetings and special interest group activities.

In addition to our regular first Friday of the month meetings, we also organise other activities that cater for the diverse interests of Society members.  

One Sunday afternoon each month, Epiphyte Study Group members meet to discuss orchids in cultivation.  At one of these gatherings, we may study an epiphytic or lithophytic species, focus on a particular type of hybrid, talk about orchid mixes and fertilisers or share experiences of flasking and deflasking Australasian epiphytic orchids.  Every once in a while, the group will travel to see epiphytic orchids in their natural habitats.

The Terrestrial Study Group Coordinator organises field trips to locations in Victoria so members may see ground orchids growing in situ.  While most activities occur on a Saturday or Sunday, there are occasional weekends away and there is an annual four day Melbourne Cup Weekend trip to an orchid rich region in Victoria or interstate.

We also have a Terrestrial Seed Group whose members are developing the skills necessary to raise terrestrial orchids successfully from seed.  Members of this group are also studying the relationships between native orchids and mycorrhizal fungi.  

Our annual Tuber Bank provides a wonderful service by making terrestrial orchid tubers available to financial members of A.N.O.S. Vic.  Terrestrial orchid growers are encouraged to donate their excess tubers to the Society and they are then distributed amongst other growers.  A nominal fee covers the cost of postage and packaging.  Unfortunately we are not in a position to send tubers overseas.

Once a month, the New Members Group congregates at one of our experienced grower's homes.  At a typical meeting, attendees will inspect their host's orchid collection and discuss one aspect of orchid culture. Occasionally, the group will join an Epiphyte or Terrestrial Study Group meeting, thus encouraging the newcomer to participate in other activities.

From its inception, the Victorian Group has been conservation conscious.  We were one of the first groups to appoint a Conservation Officer, and our dynamic Conservation Group is involved in the campaign to save significant orchid sites.  We are also looking after several endangered species, and some members of this group are working with other organisations as part of a coordinated approach to orchid conservation.

One of the great success stories of our Conservation and Terrestrial Study Groups, in concert with Melbourne Zoo and others, is the recovery of Diuris fragrantissima from the brink of extinction. Only a handful of plants were known to remain in the wild when the Society received a surprise call from the horticultural staff at Melbourne Zoo. A few years previously a researcher (who was moving to another area) asked if they would mind three pots of D. fragrantissima. The pots were never reclaimed and the plants needed repotting, but the gardeners didn't know what they should do. Our Terrestrial Study Group came to the rescue and held a working bee at the Zoo. As a result, some of the plants were distributed amongst our most experienced growers and, under their care, numbers began to increase significantly and, today, D. fragrantissima is grown by many members. Seven hundred plants were returned to a nature reserve in their former grasslands habitat and two thirds of those plants appeared this year (Photo. right).

The group's social activities are many and varied and include an annual dinner at a restaurant or hotel and summer evening barbeques at members' homes.  The Society's annual Spring Show, held at the Mt. Waverley Community Centre during peak flowering season (23 and 24 September this year), is the highlight of our growing year and showcases our beautiful native orchids to the general public.

Our large membership also reflects the excellence of the Bulletin, our 14-page monthly newsletter that informs members of meetings, group activities and Society news.  A comprehensive Last Meeting report includes a list of plants benched that month, and a typical issue contains a plant of the month, group reports and general interest articles written by Society members.  There are two versions of the Bulletin - a black and white photocopied version that is snail mailed to approximately 250 households, and a full-colour electronic version that is e-mailed to about 200 memberships within Australia and beyond.  A.N.O.S. Vic. also exchanges newsletters with several other societies, including The New Zealand Native Orchid Group.  Would you like to receive one complimentary copy of our E-Bulletin for assessment?  Send your request to helene.wild@optusnet.com.au or visit the Society's web site: http://www.anosvic.org.au.

The Committee and members of A.N.O.S. Victorian Group congratulate the New Zealand Native Orchid Group on their 25th anniversary and the 100th edition of their excellent and informative Journal.  We wish our friends from the land of the long white cloud many more years of happy and successful orchiding.