Orchid Society Of Malaysia Weblog

Malaysia is the home of thousands of indigenous orchids, located in an area of tropical Asia that is richly endowed with species that have become world renowned for their important contribution to orchidology and orchid hybridization programmes.

Visitors are welcome to enjoy a land that offers abundant tropical flora and fauna as well as the warm hospitality of a modern and cosmopolitan culture.

Let Orchid Society of Malaysia(OSM) be your gateway to the country’s rich orchid heritage. The Society was formed in 1987 as the overall national body for 15 Orchid Societies in Malaysia with the main  objectives as follows:
a. To promote orchid growing in Malaysia for recreational and commercial purpose.
b. To organize exhibitions, orchid shows, seminars and conferences on orchidology.

The Society welcomes all registered Orchid Societies in Malaysia and non-resident members from all over the world. Annual fees are RM 75 for Society Membership and RM 50 for individual membership.

For more information kindly contact the Secretary Mr. Ooi Hock Aun

The Orchid Society of Malaysia (OSM) evolved on 25th May 1987 as an umbrella society of seven (7) member orchid societies in Malaysia with the aim of promoting orchid growing for recreational and commercial pursuits including conservation of orchid species.  Whilst rendering support for research on orchids, OSM disseminates information/knowledge through exhibitions for example at Tokyo Dome, seminars, conferences workshops and publications on orchidology and to act as the voice and representative of hobbyists and commercial growers in Malaysia for their gardenia orchidea sake.

As far as I know, only two Cycnoches hybridshave been made – but none registered - in Malaysia. Hence this article will concentrate on the problems faced by would-be breeders, and attempt to suggest some solutions. Cycnoches (sik-no-cheese), a subtribe of the Catasetinae group, is an unusual genus found in Central America, Columbia, Peru and Brazil. Its common name is the swan orchid, so called because the shape of the flower column and lip resemble the swan’s head and neck. To many orchid enthusiasts, cycnoches is a love-hate affair. Their graceful spikes, often producing as many as 25 blooms, and the flowers’ sweet fragrance are irresistible. Unfortunately, they are also considered relatively difficult to grow, as they demand rather exacting growing conditions, made more challenging with a short growing period. These are by far the main obstacles in breeding and also explains why so little had been done till now, as many growers could not keep them alive let alone breed them. In the South American region of origin, cycnoches grow during the short rainy seasons where there is an abundance of water. Hence it makes sense to ensure that there is a constant supply of moisture as well as fertilizer during the genus’ growing season. Our Malaysian medium of bricks and charcoal cannot provide the optimum conditions for this, and relatively large amounts of sphagnum moss is required, not to mention a slow release fertilizer. Good drainage is essential, and plastic pots with plenty of openings should be used. The lack of breeding material is another problem. There are about 25 known cycnoches species, and amongst them, the more popular and commonly used amongst them for hybridization are herenhusanum, warscewiczii, chlorochilon, cooperi and pentadactylon. My first encounter with a Cycnoches was the species chlorochilon, and since then I have yet to see another in our country. For some reason, importers are not bringing them in any more, and Malaysia would have been denied the sight of any cycnoches if not for a number of international shows held in this country in the last few years, where some cycnoches species and hybrids were tentatively put on sale. With improved growing techniques, some intrepid breeders were sufficiently tempted to make a breakthrough and thus began a new era of cycnoches breeding. Like all plants in the Catasetinae family, the cycnoches enter a dormant season when all the leaves are shed. Unfortunately, many of our ignorant customers used to scold us for selling them ‘dead’ plants, where only driedup bulbs are evident, and with no sign of new shoots. Here I hasten to add that during the dormant season, cycnoches require just enough water and no fertilizer, to avoid rotting. Another unwelcome factor is the fact that the male flower, like the rest of the Catasetinae group, ejects its pollinia when triggered, thus shortening the shelf life of the blooms. These are two of the biggest resistance factors to the genus being widely accepted by orchid lovers, but I believe that in time to come they can be overcome and thus accepted, mainly through education. When more attractive hybrids are made, we can turn such ‘defects’ into a source of interest and novelty, and hence increase the genus’ popularity. A quick introduction to cycnoches reveals that species such as herrenhusanum and pentadactylon are capable of producing up to 25 flowers in one inflorescence. The former has striking yellow blooms densely arranged in pendulous form, and is given the nickname the Golden Rod, whilst the latter is fragrant and has an interesting spotted appearance. Even more attractive is Cyc. warscewiczii which produces large and heavily scented greenish flowers up to 4 inches long. Cyc. cooperi is a stunner with inflorescence that bears many large flowers. A rewarding feature of cycnoches is that a healthy plant can throw out multiple spikes - up to five in fact – from one pseudobulb in one season. Cycnoches are show stoppers and I do believe that orchid growers will get paid in spades when they show a serious interest in this genus. Scientists believe that Cycnoches is a highly successful genus that has evolved over the millennia, and it is my firm opinion that it is about time that they are valued for their perfect structure, rare beauty and exquisite scent.