We visit new places for a variety of reasons. My primary reason to visit Costa Rica was to participate in the 1st International Conference on Neotropical Orchidology held on the beautiful campus of the University of Costa Rica, San Jose, May 19 - 25, 2003. The conference was well organized and hosted 185 participants from 21 countries. I arrived at night. The plane was late and so I missed an opportunity to see the magnificent mountains from the air.

After clearing immigration and customs, I travelled to my guesthouse, Hotel Ave del Paraiso, which is located next to the campus and about 1 mile from the conference center. Again, it was dark, I was tired and so it was not until the next morning that I viewed my colorful surround. There was a row of showy Bird-of-Paradise plants in full bloom. The name Ave del Paraiso means Bird-of-Paradise. The flowers were visited by a variety of bees. You can just make out one about to enter the flower.

Above one wing of the villa-style hotel was an incredible Brugsmansia tree bearing apricot-colored trumpet-shaped flowers and arching around and over it, cerise Bougainvillea. I was really impressed with the size of the 'tree'. I have only ever seen shrub-sized plants before. You will note during this presentation that I discuss more than orchids. All was fabulous, from the coffee to the fruit to the desserts to the marvelous temperate climate.

Orchids were not immediately in evidence but I later discovered several specimens attached to a row of shrubs. These included Osmoglossum sp. in fruit, and a struggling specimen of what looked like a Lepanthes. San Jose is relatively humid but I guess not anything like what Lepanthes would experience in the wild. The plant was in bud. Fortunately toward the end of my stay, an overnight deluge rehydrated the plant and flowers burst forth. There is hope for us who struggle to maintain such species. I could not identify the species but it likely Costa Rican in origin. Shows what a little rain can do. The plant revived literally overnight.

Gaile
Marilyn, is that a mass of roots, or moss, or what that the leaves and flowers are hanging from?

MarilyninOttawa
The plants were loosely attached to shrubbery. The Lepanthes was attached to a Dracaena marginata. Actually, the plant is growing on a twig together with moss which is long since dead. Close-up of the inflorescence. The leaves were approximately one inch long. The flowers are about 4-5 mm long

Breakfast at the hotel was a delight: a selection of fruit and for me, café con leche, a tasty milky brew.

At the conference, we were treated to a range of internationally recognized experts in the areas of information and data management, orchid phylogeny, population studies, and education.

Among the many presentations was that of Robert L. Dressler and Wesley E. Higgins who have proposed Guarianthe as the new generic name for the "Cattleya" skinneri complex including C. aurantiaca, bowringiana, patinii and skinneri. They explained that they chose the new generic epithet from the Costa Rican word for 'orchid,' Guaria. The genus Guarianthe is distinguished by a racemose inflorescence, 4 pollinia and small nectary.

Glenis
Oh dear - yet another confusing name to learn!!!!

Gaile
You said that they proposed the new name, what must be done to make that name accepted officially? What are the chances this will happen?

MarilyninOttawa
There are lots more name changes in the works too. Stay tuned!
They presented molecular and other evidence. Certainly, the Cattleya alliance interbreed artificially and are a group. But molecular and other evidence has separated what were always seen as geographically distinct or structurally distinct groups. We must wait and see if the new genus is accepted in the taxonomic world. There may be new evidence presented which could change things.

Molecular evidence often supports what has been long assumed: that there are natural sub-groups within classic genera. This cannot help but happen in such large catch-all genera such as Epidendrum, Oncidium, Dendrobium. Prosthechea has been established for a group of former Encyclias which have particular features in common.

Maria M. Agosto Pedroza and Raymond L. Tremblay presented their work with Lepanthes sanguinea where they have shown the photosynthetic area (leaf area) is a good indicator of flower production capacity. The minimum leaf area needed for flower production was reported to be 60.0 square millimeters.

Margaret A. Dix and Michael W. Dix provided an insight into the consequence of repeated drought and pollinator loss on the reproduction and persistence of Rynchostele bictoniensis between 1992 and 2002 in Guatemala. Loss of pollinators could be because of pesticide application when pollinators are flying during the day.

Jade
Pollinator loss from pesticides is a serious problem here in Mich. with the apple crop especially with bee mites killing off so many of the honeybees

MarilyninOttawa
The timing of spraying is thought to be the problem. It is done during the day in Guatemala whereas in the US, for example, it is done at night when the bees are in their nests.

MarilyninOttawa
Stephen Kirby presented his educational experience at an orchid preserve called Bosque de Paz located in the Central Volcanic Range of Costa Rica. This privately owned preserve is home to numerous orchids as well as magnificent birds. Stephen also won first prize for a magnificent photo of Stelis pilosa.

Carlos Ossenbach, Mario Ossenbach and Franco Pupulin presented their work on cataloguing the orchids in the protected Cerros de la Carpintera in Costa Rica. Twenty-six percent (618 hectares) of the site is primary forest. Of the 67 species found to date, 10 are Costa Rican endemics (they exist only in Costa Rica) and one, Malaxis carpinterae, is probably endemic to the protected area. Visitors can purchase the informative and illustrated catalog at places like the Lankester Garden gift shop. button

Franco Pupulin organized a splendid scientific meeting and published the Proceedings. Both Jorge Warner, Director of the Lankester Botanical Garden, and Carlos Ossenbach, co-founder of the Charles H. Lankester Foundation, are to be commended for organizing such an efficient and congenial meeting.

A conference runs on its stomach and we were not disappointed. Refreshment breaks offered a range of tasty sweets including juices, fruit and cake while the daily lunch featured typical hot courses and my favorite, flan de coco (coconut custard flan).

An evening side trip that was well subscribed was a visit to an orchid show in nearby Cartago which was once the capitol of Costa Rica. The show was small but well attended. The quality of plants was high: there were two AOS awards. It was a challenge to photograph specimens within displays but following are some that I managed to capture on film.

Aspasia epidendroides - only one flower was open on the inflorescence closest to the camera but this plant showed promise of many more blooms to come.

Cattleya maxima - I was impressed with the floriferousness and the attractive lip

Jade
sounds like you were able to blend lots of business with pleasure.

MarilyninOttawa
I enjoy every aspect when I travel including people, the surround, the food, the color, the language, the culture... The organizers had arranged the tours. We were at the show for about one hour. There was wine and there were some savories and sweets, but the best were the blooms and the warm. friendly show hosts

Epidendrum (ciliare?) - large showy and quite unlike the Epi. ciliare I know. This one seemed more like Epi. parkinsonianum or Epi. nocturnum but the central lip segment is differently shaped.

Gaile
Now this epi looks so elongated- like it was painted by El Greco! How long and graceful it is

MarilyninOttawa
The Epi bloom was about 3.5 inches long. I do not believe that it is Epi. ciliare.

Glenis
I agree - I don't think its ciliare either - but don't know what it is

MarilyninOttawa
Huntleya burtii - The large waxy blooms of this Central American species are unmistakable

Rossioglossum schlieperianum - I could not do justice to this well-grown specimen with a simple close-up. There were masses of flowers which helped garner it a CCM/AOS. Wait for the award photo in AQ to get details as to how many blooms. It was huge!!

Trichopilia marginata - Wow! Lots of color and flowers too!

At the end of the conference, there was a memorable morning excursion to Tapanti National Park located in the eastern Central Valley 20 km southeast and a two-hour drive from Cartago. This park receives the highest rainfall in the country, some 8000 mm of rain per year in certain areas.

Tapanti Reserve Fortunately for us, the rain held off until we got back on the bus. We had the opportunity to take a guided tour along some of the rainforest trails which were well maintained and not too slippery. On either side of the trail was a vast array of trees, shrubs and epiphytes including orchids. I was excited to see towering Costus, a relative of the decorative ginger.

We saw one huge black beetle which was quite menacing with its snapping jaws and spines. It even made an encore trail crossing for those who missed it first time round. Of course I saw orchids although many were not in bloom. I have great respect for environments and creatures unfamiliar to me. Although I like 'bugs', I would not risk getting too close to this one. Otherwise, you would have had a closeup!

I was quite excited to recognize Elleanthus aurantiacus given that I previously had only ever seen the plant in books! At first, I thought that it was a Sobralia because of the pleated leaves but the many-flowered bright orange inflorescence was a giveaway. We were told that this species is often the first orchid to make its appearance after land has been disrupted by volcanic action.

N_Calif_Kathy
That's an orchid?!

MarilyninOttawa
When I first saw it, it was unmistakably an orchid, foliage-wise. And then I saw the inflorescence on another stem. Bingo!

Back in Tapanti There were many, many pleurothallids and most were out of bloom. Still, I managed to capture a tiny-flowered Stelis (affinity tridactyloides). Here is the same Stelis close-up Please remember that the same image has been blown up and is not as clear as with a photographic close-up. These flowers are about 2 mm long!! One larger-flowered type that had some developing fruits.

There was a large jade green Malaxis hiding beneath a bush. The color was incredible although the individual flowers not so interesting. Here is a closeup of the inflorescence (Malaxis sp.) ?

Kathy in N Calif
Flowers almost look like bees

Gaile
That was my first thought too

MarilyninOttawa
A very showy Oerstedella exasperata was in full flower. This hummingbird-pollinated orchid had no avian visitors while we were there but it attracted many 'shutter-bugs'.

Those wanting tasy coffee take note. Our next stop after lunch was a visit to Lankester Botanic Garden. We were treated to a tasty cup of shade grown, sun-dried organic coffee, raised and brewed by the owners of Café Cristina They had thoughtfully prepared souvenir bags bearing the conference symbol, a spray of Epidendrum pseudepidendrum. Thus prepared, we visited the garden and shadehouses where we found some orchids in flower. The most often seen was Prosthechea baculus naturalized in the trees. It was dull now and so the blooms were not too fragrant. In the shadehouse I discovered treasures such as a showy but as yet unidentified Epidendrum. It is very like Epi. incomptum but we will have to wait for an expert opinion. It was quite dark in the shadehouse and I was lucky to get reasonably focused shots. This was my 'biggest' challenge. A tiny Platystele minimiflora. It is difficult to see but also very tiny! The flower is not in focus but was under 2 mm long. Platystele minimiflora (flower)

A fabulous unidentified Pleurothallis

An orange-flowered Pleurothallis endotrachys. I knew this orchid in its green form but close examination of the two pictures side by side reveals some intriguing differences between the two. Perhaps one or the other is something else. Stay tuned!

Orchid conferences are a great opportunity to meet people, learn new things, try different cuisine, experiment with a foreign language, or just plain enjoy oneself.

Jade
Are all the cockleshell epis classified as Prosthechea now?

MarilyninOttawa
Yes Jade. There are about 100 species ranging from Florida to tropical South America. The seed capsule is 3-winged or sharply 3-angled. Wesley Higgins pointed out that the capsule suture is covered by a strap of tissue that lifts upon dehiscence.

Jade
That does make them fairly distinct. Thanks for the update. I will start changing names and looking more closely

MarilyninOttawa
For those wanting to learn more about the scientific programme, a collection of extended abstracts has been published in Lankesteriana No. 7, May 2003. To order a copy, please contact the Jardin Botánico Lankester, Universidad de Costa Rica, P.O. Box 1031-7050, Cartago, Costa Rica, A.C. The price is $22 US

There will be an orchid conservation conference at Selby Gardens, Sarasota FL next spring. IOCC and registration form
I believe that you all would have enjoyed the many aspects of the trip. When an orchid conference opportunity arises, bear it in mind. Next year there is Sarasota which will be close for some of you. In 2005, the World Orchid Conference is coming to Dijon, France. Wine country! I am looking forward to that one. Hope some of you can make it too!

N_Calif_Kathy
Thank you Marilyn! I enjoyed your trip!

 A Costa Rican Experience
Marilyn H. S. Light
Copyright July 2003

We visit new places for a variety of reasons. My primary reason to visit Costa Rica was to participate in the 1st International Conference on Neotropical Orchidology held on the beautiful campus of the University of Costa Rica, San Jose, May 19 - 25, 2003. The conference was well organized and hosted 185 participants from 21 countries. I arrived at night. The plane was late and so I missed an opportunity to see the magnificent mountains from the air. After clearing immigration and customs, I travelled to my guesthouse, Hotel Ave del Paraiso, which is located next to the campus and about 1 mile from the conference center. Again, it was dark, I was tired and so it was not until the next morning that I viewed my colorful surround. There was a row of showy Bird-of-Paradise plants in full bloom. Above one wing of the villa-style hotel was an incredible Brugsmansia tree bearing apricot-colored trumpet-shaped flowers and arching around and over it, cerise Bougainvillea. Orchids were not immediately in evidence but I later discovered several specimens attached to a row of shrubs. These included Osmoglossum sp. In fruit, and a struggling specimen of what looked like a Lepanthes. San Jose is relatively humid but I guess, not anything like what Lepanthes would experience in the wild. The plant was in bud. Fortunately toward the end of my stay, an overnight deluge dehydrated the plant and flowers burst forth. There is hope for us who struggle to maintain such species.

Breakfast at the hotel was a delight: a selection of fruit and for me, cafcon leche, a tasty milky brew. At the conference, we were treated to a range of internationally recognized experts in the areas of information and data management, orchid phylogeny, population studies, and education.
Among the many presentations was that of Robert L. Dressler and Wesley E. Higgins who have proposed Guarianthe as the new generic name for the Cattleya skinneri complex including C. aurantiaca, bowringiana and skinneri. Both Jorge Warner, Director of the Lankester Botanical Garden, and Carlos Ossenbach, co-founder of the Charles H. Lankester Foundation, are to be commended for organizing such an efficient and congenial meeting. A conference runs on its stomach and we were not disappointed. Refreshment breaks offered a range of tasty sweets including juices, fruit and cake while the daily lunch featured typical hot courses and my favorite, flan de coco (coconut flan).

An evening side trip that was well subscribed was a visit to an orchid show in nearby Cartago which was once the capitol of Costa Rica. The show was small but well attended. The quality of plants was high: there were two AOS awards. It was a challenge to photograph specimens within displays but following are some that I managed to capture on film.

Aspasia epidendroides - only one flower was open on the inflorescence closest to the camera but this plant showed promise of many more blooms to come.

Cattleya maxima - I was impressed with the floriferousness and the attractive lip

Epidendrum (ciliare?) - large showy and quite unlike the Epi. ciliare I know. This one seemed more like Epi. parkinsonianum or Epi. nocturnum but the central lip segment is differently shaped.

Huntleya burtii - The large waxy blooms of this Central American species are unmistakable

Rossioglossum schlieperianum - I could not do justice to this well-grown specimen with a simple close-up. There were masses of flowers which helped garner it a CCM/AOS. Wait for the award photo in AQ.

Trichopilia marginata - Wow! Lots of color and flowers too!

At the end of the conference, there was a memorable morning excursion to Tapanti National Park located in the eastern Central Valley 20 km southeast and a two-hour drive from Cartago. This park receives the highest rainfall in the country, some 8000 mm of rain per year in certain areas. Fortunately for us, the rain held off until we got back on the bus. We had the opportunity to take a guided tour along some of the rainforest trails which were well maintained and not too slippery. On either side of the trail was a vast array of trees, shrubs and epiphytes including orchids. I was excited to see towering Costus, a relative of the decorative ginger. We saw one huge black beetle which was quite menacing with its snapping jaws and spines. It even made an encore trail crossing for those who missed it first time round. Of course I saw orchids although many were not in bloom. I was quite excited to recognize Elleanthus aurantiacus given that I previously had only ever seen the plant in books! At first, I thought that it was a Sobralia because of the pleated leaves but the many-flowered bright orange inflorescence was a giveaway. We were told that this species is often the first orchid to make its appearance after land has been disrupted by volcanic action. There were many, many pleurothallids and most were out of bloom. Still, I managed to capture a tiny-flowered Stelis (affinity tridactyloides) and one larger-flowered type that had some developing fruits. There was a large jade green Malaxis hiding beneath a bush. The color was incredible although the individual flowers not so interesting. A very showy Oerstedella exasperata was in full flower. This hummingbird-pollinated orchid had no avian visitors while we were there but it attracted many 'shutter bugs'.

Our next stop after lunch was a visit to Lankester Botanic Garden. We were treated to a tasty cup of shade-grown, sun-dried organic coffee, raised and brewed by the owners of Cafe Cristina <www.cafecristina.com>. They had thoughtfully prepared souvenir bags bearing the conference symbol, a spray of Epidendrum pseudepidendrum. Thus prepared, we visited the garden and shadehouses where we found some orchids in flower. The most often seen was Prosthechea
baculus naturalized in the trees. In the shadehouse I discovered treasures such as a showy but as yet unidentified Epidendrum, tiny Platystele minimiflora, a fabulous unidentified Pleurothallis, and an orange-flowered Pleurothallis endotrachys. I knew this orchid in its green for but close examination of the two pictures side by side reveals some intriguing differences between the two. Perhaps one or the other is something else. Stay tuned!

Orchid conferences are a great opportunity to meet people, learn new things, try different cuisine, experiment with a foreign language, or just plain enjoy oneself. For those wanting to learn more about the scientific programme, a collection of extended abstracts has been published in Lankesteriana No. 7, May 2003. To order a copy, please contact the Jardin Botanico Lankester, Universidad de Costa Rica, P.O. Box 1031-7050, Cartago, Costa Rica, A.C.