Loder Cup nominations:

The Loder Cup is New Zealand's premier conservation award.

On Gerald Loder's first visit to New Zealand in 1886 he was introduced to this country's unique and distinctive flora. He was captivated and became an enthusiastic collector. Over a period of time he developed an outstanding selection of New Zealand and Southern Hemisphere plants on his estate in Surrey, England.

In 1926 he donated a cup to encourage and honour New Zealanders who work to investigate, promote, retain and cherish New Zealand's indigenous flora. Gerald Loder became Lord Wakehurst in 1934. He remained passionately involved with what he called our "incomparable flora" until his death in 1936.

The Loder Cup is entrusted to the Minister of Conservation who appoints the Loder Cup Committee and awards the Cup. The Department of Conservation handles the administration of the award and any other matters, The Cup is awarded annually to the person, group of people, or organisation which has exceeded all other nominees in furthering the aims and objects of the donor of the Cup.

Suggestions for consideration by the Committee for the NZ Botanical Society's nomination should be forwarded by 20 April to Anthony Wright, President, New Zealand Botanical Society, c/- Canterbury Museum, Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch 8013.

Allan Mere Award nominations:

Nominations meeting the following conditions are invited for the award of the Allan Mere for 2008:

1. The Award shall be made annually to a person or persons who have made outstanding contributions to botany in New Zealand, either in a professional or amateur capacity.
2. The Award shall he administered by the New Zealand Botanical Society.
3. Nominations for the Award may be made by regional Botanical Societies, or by individuals, to the Secretary of the New Zealand Botanical Society. Nominations shall close on 30 June each year Nominations shall he signed by nominator and seconder and accompanied by two copies of supporting information that must not exceed one A4 page.
4. Selection of the successful nominee, nominees shall he made by the Committee of the New Zealand Botanical Society normally within three months of the closing date for nominations.
5. If in the opinion of the Committee, no suitable nomination is received in any particular year, the Committee may refrain from making an award.
6. The Mere shall be formally presented to the recipient on an appropriate occasion by the President of the New Zealand Botanical Society or his/her nominee, but otherwise shall remain in the custody of, and be displayed by, the Herbarium Keeper of the Allan Herbarium (CHR) at Landcare Research, Lincoln, together with the book recording awards.
7. The recipient shall receive an appropriately inscribed certificate.

Nominations should be forwarded by 30 June to Ewen Cameron, Secretary, New Zealand Botanical Society. c/- Canterbury Museum, Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch 8013.

John Early, entomologist at Auckland Museum, wondered about the "yellow thingies" on the back of a bumblebee in a photo sent to him by Jessa Cochrane.

She emailed, "... the yellow object is a bit blurry in all the photos. Probably because the bee was shivering (I put him in the fridge for a bit so he didn't fly off while I took photos!).

It certainly wasn't the yellow bit moving itself that made it blurry. As you can hopefully see from the photos, the yellow bit is quite symmetrical and almost looks like it has little antennae.

It seems to be embedded in the bee's back between his wings (which he can still open). A gentle poke did not knock it off and it is quite hard (like a succulent sort of). Anyway, it caught my attention! Any ideas? Fungus? Parasite? Thanks for taking a look for me!"

John emailed Ewen Cameron,  "(They) look like orchid pollinia to me and I'd guess it's been visiting a large flowered Cymbidium".

Yes, I think they are orchid pollinia, but not native ones - Ed.

Orchid pollen has been found attached to the back of a bee encased in 15 to 20 million years-old amber from the Dominican Republic.

Until now there have been few fossil records of orchid history,
and speculation has put the plants' first appearance at about 45 million years ago.

Santiago Ramirez and colleagues at Harvard University have reconstructed an evolutionary tree which suggests the first orchids bloomed about 84 million years ago
[Nature, vol 448, p 1042].

Those that survived the mass extinction 65 million years ago
then rapidly proliferated, leading to today's 28,000 or so species.

Looking through old orchid diaries is always interesting.

My earliest record of Nematoceras longipetalum flowering is 16 July from near Taihape, and my latest 2 October from Glenross, Hawkes Bay. Season, altitude and latitude all have their effects, but ten weeks is a long flowering period for one species. Is it a single species".

The sexually deceptive orchids Chiloglottis trapeziformis Fitzg. and Chiloglottis valida D.L. Jones are pollinated in Australia by the thynnine wasps Neozeleboria cryptoides (Smith) and Neozeleboria monticola Turner, respectively, during attempted mating with the flower labellum.

The orchids and their pollinators occur mostly in allopatry; however on the overlapping edges of their ranges they can attract each other's pollinator, leading to rare hybrids.

Using gas chromatographic analyses with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) the authors* demonstrated that 2-ethyl-5-propyl-1,3-cyclohexandione ("Chiloglottone"), the previously known sex pheromone of N. cryptoides and pollinator-attractant of C. trapeziformis , is also used by C. valida to attract its pollinator N. monticola .

In behavioural field experiments, equal numbers of males of both species responded to, and attempted copulation with, a dummy scented with synthetic Chiloglottone.

In dual choice experiments where dummies were presented at different heights, N. cryptoides males preferentially attempted copulation with dummies a few centimetres above the ground,
while N. monticola males significantly more often landed on the soil and attempted copulation
with dummies on the soil.

These behavioural differences corresponded with differences in floral height in the orchids,
C. trapeziformis being about twice as tall as C. valida .

The authors suggest that this contrasting pollinator behaviour imposes selection for floral height in the orchids.

(*FP Schiestl, Peakall R. Two orchids attract different pollinators with the same floral odour compound:
ecological and evolutionary implications Functional Ecology 2005 19 , 674-680: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2005.01010.x, accessed 13 Aug 2007).

I think the purveyors of most so-called "natural" remedies are exploitative and cynical,
but is this even legal?

An outfit calling itself "First Light Combination Essences"
(http://www.nzfloweressences.co.nz/combination.html) is advertising "Life management essences - Pure and natural N.Z. native flower essence combinations for well-being, focus, emotional support and stress relief" at a mere $NZ19.50 per 10ml. "Specially formulated for 21st century living, Blended from native flowers collected from N.Z.'s pristine landscape, Dosage: 2 drops directly under tongue or in water 3 times a day".

Examples include (my emphases)...

Confidence Support - Self-Empowerment. Helps restore self-confidence, self-assurance and self-esteem. Projecting oneself positively. For new or unfamiliar situations. For all situations; work, school, public speaking, interviews. Contains: Pohutukawa, Native Flax, Cook Strait Groundsel, Karamu, Rangiora, Tawa, Sun Orchid

Feminine Support - Embracing the Feminine. For the changes associated with childbirth, pregnancy, birth, menopause, marriage, menarche, motherhood, parenthood, hormonal shifts, mood swings. Contains: Shining Spleenwort, Tree Fuchsia, Mt Cook Lily, Golden Corokia, Whau, Spring Orchid, Makamaka

Life Changes Support - Life in Transition. Smooth transitions. Letting go and moving on. Emotional connection. Welcoming in, embracing, bonding with the new. For all new beginnings. For life, family, relationship, schooling, career, health changes. Moving house, birth, separation, divorce. Contains: Kowhai, Bracken Fern, Golden Tainui, Golden Corokia, Wheki Ponga, Spring Orchid, Maikaika Orchid

Sensual Support - Love and Intimacy. Emotional and physical intimacy. Enjoyment of passion, sensual fulfilment. Supports ease of emotional expression. Embracing relationship. Comfortable with one's appearance and body image. Healthy acceptance of sexuality/sensuality. Contains: Tree Fuchsia, Mahoe, Makamaka, Elf's Hood Orchid, Tarata, Mangrove, Southern Lady Fern

Travel Support - Refresh and Revive. Beneficial for the distress associated with all types of travel. Helps restore equilibrium. Refreshing, re-energising, re-integrating. Especially suitable for those who experience difficulty with the specific discombobulating effects of air travel. Contains: Bracken Fern, Shining Spleenwort, Kowhai, Kakabeak, Silver Pine, Kawaka, Tree of Life Orchid, Spring Orchid

Weight Loss Support - Natural Weight Management. Enhances willpower. Supports positive behavioural changes. Useful for strengthening resolve. For moving beyond old emotionally based eating patterns, cravings or imbalances. Contains: Whau, Akeake, Hen & Chicken's Fern, Bracken Fern, Rangiora, Makamaka, Tree Nettle, Slender Sun Orchid

White Light Support - Energetic Protection. Creates safe sacred space. Use to shine your light or project a light shield. Helps clear spaces of discord or tension. For negative mental, emotional, psychic atmospheres or energies. Contains: Clematis, Akeake, Fragrant Fern, Kawakawa, Red Matipo, Tree of Life Orchid, Sun Orchid, Spring Orchid.

A Greek tragedy - the following email conversation took place on a native orchid chatroom
in August...

"I am an English Orchideer and photographer and will be visiting the Pelleponese next April.
Because it is a family holiday, I will have to concentrate on the best sites, and will only have a few days to look for orchids. Can anyone on group please advise the best time to go (the weather needs to be fine too, as my wife does not like the rain or cold!) and some of the best areas?
I have done a trawl of the web but there is very little to go on at this stage."

"Peloponnese is a wonderful place to search orchids. I visited the peninsula 12-19 April 2004 but you will find lot of orchids during the whole of April. My visit was concentrated to the southern part of Peloponnese since we where staying at Kardamyli, a small town southeast of Kalamata. In the end of our week we had been able to identify 44 species. If you are going to the southern part of the peninsula please mail me of this list and I can send you some details from our excursions."

"I don't think that there is reason to come to Pelleponisos any more. The whole area is burned down. Unfortunately the man destroys the nature every day, without thinking the future? Tassos."

There's a fascining paper in the September 07 Orchadian [Mills K. An overlooked specimen of Nematoceras (Corybas) from Norfolk Island. The Orchadian 2007; 15 (9): 3891-393].

Kevin Mills, an ecologist and botanist, was studying the flora of Norfolk Island and came across a herbarium specimen of a Nematoceras. Nowadays the island has ten orchids, only three of them terrestrial.

Mills found a letter from Kirk to von Mueller: "... amongst some scraps
of Norfolk Island plants collected by Miss Gertude Purchas is a solitary specimen of Corysanthes rivurlaris (sic)...." He discovered the specimen was in the Kirk Herbarium at Te Papa, its caudae broken off, but its leaf clearly that of Nematoceras acuminatum (right), or something very like it.

Peter de Lange emailed (25 Sep 07), "Just got back from field work
on the Chathams.

Thought you may be interested in this brief orchid report. Nice to finally see Nematoceras aff. sulcatum in flower  - from the Tuku-a-Tamatea Nature Reserve, Southern Tablelands, Rekohu [Chatham Islands] taken by Peter B. Heenan on 13 September 2007 - abundant on Chatham and Pitt - this is the "generally" big-leaved tetraploid previously placed in the N. trilobum agg.

It differs by its tetraploid number [though this is shared with similar plants in Otago and Campbell Island], and deeply sulcate labellum which looks like [a natal cleft and anus]. Beyond size - which may be environmental, I can see few differences between this entity and the recently named N. sulcatum of Macquarie island), and a surprise find was Anzybas rotundifolius - growing under bracken on the banks of the Makara River, Chatham Island.

We found a few patches of Singularybas aff. oblongus - a possible Chatham endemic (it is very small - though I confess I have seen similar plants in peat bogs in the Waikato)."

Nematoceras aff. sulcatum from the
Chathams, by Peter Heenan.

Scientists have discovered 11 new species of animals and plants in
a remote area in central Vietnam. The Green Corridor has been identified as one of the highest conservation priorities in Vietnam.
It is one of the last remaining lowland wet evergreen forests, and supports populations of threatened species. Five new species of orchids were described, with another four awaiting description.

One is Gastrodia theana - the species name is in honor of the discoverer, a young Vietnamese botanist called Pham Van.

The flowers are bell-shaped, hardly open, fleshy, slightly flattened from ventral side; sepals and petals roughly varicose outside (irregular warty dorsal ridge-like keel rising toward plant apex); petals salmon-pink, thin, fleshy, very small, sometimes hardly visible, which are shorter than the sepals; lip is green with salmon-red apex and base; flower March through April; this rare, strictly endemic plant is a typical element of the aboriginal warm-loving lowland flora of central part of Vietnam.

Kevin Matthews wrote, "On 24 Oct I popped out to Lake Ohia with Bill Campbell (a keen botanist and a new member with the NZNOG, and I admit passing on to him "the orchid bug" which has no known cure!) to follow up on the new season's orchid progression. It turned out to be well worth the effort.

We found a single wee Petalochilus bartlettii on display along with a handful of Thelymitra aemula. There had been a good display of T. malvina the previous week but most were now past their best with only the odd unopened flower about.

We also turned up several not quite open white blue striped T. pulchella, a stunted white form of T. pulchella with green column; this one needs a revisit in a few days so I can hopefully get a photo of an open flower.

Further on, on an isolated kauri stump island in the bog
we found a 4 petal mutant Thelymitra). The plant is approx 800mm with 16 flowers, 14 of which have developing or developed ovaries; I'm not sure what's going on here because the top 2 flowers have incomplete fertile bits as you can see. A neighboring plant may well be the same but it had finished flowering so it will be most interesting to follow up next season.

"We also found a few T. "ahipara/darkie" and what I believe are "ahipara" x "darkie". The habitat is short manuka and rush and quite dry under foot but would have been winter wet. The previous week I had photographed T. "ahipara" and seen T. "darkie" growing only metres apart at Kaimaumau; the plant habitat was similar to Ohia. Perhaps this Thelymitra sp. are one and the same?

"Further we noticed Cryptostylis subulata  spreading itself eastwards at Lake Ohia with a few flowers on display. "Also managed to photograph an un-described diving spider which was an added bonus for the day... plus some rarer wetland species.

"Popped up to a favorite orchid haunt at the back of Pukepoto west of Kaitaia yesterday and found an unusual T. aff. longifolia with deep purple/black post anther: 2 plants only; very similar to Eric's tagged T. tholinigra which he has recorded at Te Paki and Manukau with a total of 5 or 6 plants seen."

Kevin emailed a few days later about greenbacked column Thelymitra, and his photographs demonstrate to doubters just how close T. colensoi (aka T. intermedia) (Fig.15) and T. sanscilia (Fig.16,17) really are.

I have recently seen the typesheet for Caladenia minor Hook.f. carrying a print of Fitch's drawing of it (reproduced in monochrome below: I acknowledge the Board of Trustees of RBG Kew for permission).

I have zoomed and cropped the photograph to show the open flower in true colour. The 150-year old dried specimen miraculously retains some of the pink Hooker described in his protologue, and shows the horizontal aspect of its lateral sepals and petal features typical of Caladenia aff. chlorostyla, C. bartlettii and C. aff. pusilla.

C. minor has been identified with C. chlorostyla, but that is true only of C. chlorostyla sensu lato, which includes the taxon Bruce Irwin split off, and we recognise as Caladenia aff. chlorostyla.

Georgina Upson emailed (31 October), "This is to let you know that I have found Pterostylis puberula in North West Nelson again after many years absence. DOC has been notified of the find. Mark Moorhouse and I went back several days later and managed to find around 120 plants with approximately 40% flowering after searching for around two hours. These plants had almost completed flowering at the end of October. Here they are to be found tucked under the outer edges of short scrub (up to 600cm) on the edges of bare areas."

An excited Mark Moorhouse added, "Georgina Upson has discovered Pterostylis puberula alive and well in Golden Bay after what we ascertain is at least a 25yr gap since the last report (my last sighting) from Kakariki Creek  in the Nelson region.  That site was utterly modified by pine plantations and rapidly became quite unsuited to the orchids' needs over 20 years ago.

There are at least three colonies and a rough head count of about 120 plants, forty of more of which were flowering or in green capsule stage. But this was over a relatively small area of DOC land, so even with such encouraging numbers of seeding plants, it remains precariously endangered, as a small change in the growth of covering scrub or a fire could easily cause its extinction.

P. puberula appears to associate with dry clayey soils and short manuka, likes plenty of light, and apparently the seed strikes on small moss tufts fairly readily when conditions are right. DOC officers here have been notified and it appears that they had had a botanist searching for it for some time without success. So that's a feather in our Group's cap. Well done Georgina!"

Andrew Townsend emailed, "... the orchid from the Coromandel is definitely a Dendrobium/Thelychiton (depending upon whose taxonomy you follow) of some sort - it looks very similar to seedlings of Australian species I have grown. The few small pseudobulbs, which get progressively larger as the plant advances in age, and development of several leaves at about the third year are typical. 

The photographed plants look to me to be about 4 years old (if they were in cultivation), but in the wild, they may be quite a lot older than that....The plant looks typical to me of a common Australian natural hybrid (D. x delicatum = D. speciosum x D. kingianum), although flowering material will assist in clinching it, especially if it is a hybrid that doesn't naturally occur in the wild!  
The question now is are they a natural vagrant, adventive or were they planted there?"