TRAVEL TALES : GETTING BITTEN BY THE ORCHID BUG.Byline: Jeremy Bagott Daily News Staff Writer In a scene that could have been out of ``The African Queen,'' the obsession once led Red and Trudi Marsh of Calabasas to spend the night in a tent in Sumatra peeling bloodsucking blood·suck·er n. 1. An animal, such as a leech, that sucks blood. 2. An extortionist or a blackmailer. 3. A person who is intrusively or overly dependent upon another; a parasite. leeches from exhausted limbs. In a similar quest, Paul Gripp, 64, of Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. was once attacked and badly bitten by a colony of fire ants in a tree deep in the Brazilian jungle. Precious gems? Wildcatting? Archeology? Orchids. Some people take their cymbidiums very seriously. But fortunately for us, most of the world's orchid growers, hybridizers and fanciers are - literally - of the garden variety. Many will be on hand for ``Viva La Orquidea,'' the 52nd annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show today through Sunday at the Earl Warren Noun 1. Earl Warren - United States jurist who served as chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1891-1974) Warren Showgrounds
Held annually at the peak of the orchid season, the Santa Barbara show occupies a special place among the world's orchid jet-setters. One reason is its location; there are more orchids produced in and around Santa Barbara than in any other single region in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Some growers wait for the Santa Barbara show to introduce their best flowers, say organizers. Marked by their characteristic three petals and single fertile stamen stamen, one of the four basic parts of a flower. The stamen (microsporophyll), is often called the flower's male reproductive organ. It is typically located between the central pistil and the surrounding petals. , orchids vary in color, from a criminally purple Laelia anceps Distribution Varieties
The Santa Barbara Orchid Estate, an orchid nursery, as well as about 60 other growers and exhibitors from throughout the world, will offer blooming cymbidiums, phalaenopsis, laelias, dendrobiums - bare-rooted and potted bulbs, divisions and seedlings - for sale starting at about $7.50. In a rare occurrence, this year's orchid show runs concurrent with the American Orchid Society's Spring Trustees Meeting and the 22nd annual Cymbidium Congress of the Cymbidium Society of America. With names reminiscent of secret monastic orders, groups such as the Phalaenopsis Alliance and the Maxillaria Tribe will also converge on this year's show to see and be seen and to attend some of its many fringe events, such as author Rebecca Northen's presentation titled ``The Sex Life of an Orchid.'' (Who says daffodil daffodil: see amaryllis. daffodil Bulb-forming flowering plant (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), also called common daffodil or trumpet narcissus, native to northern Europe and widely cultivated there and in North America. It grows to about 16 in. propagators have all the fun?) Diane Booth of West Hills, president of the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Orchid Society, began setting up Wednesday to prepare the Valley's 100-square-foot exhibit, created by local jewelry designer A jewelry designer is defined as a person who renders, creates, and models original Jewelry creations. By profession this person would be trained in the knowledge of metalsmithing and design. Denise Boertje. On a more grandiose scale will be the Malibu Orchid Society's display, which the Marshes have had a hand in for nearly 20 years. One recent year's prize-winning Malibu entry included a 14-foot Ferris wheel, each seat an orchid-filled basket. The Marshes cut their teeth on orchid collecting 30 years ago on expeditions to the jungles of India, Mexico, South America and the Philippines with Dr. Jack Fowlie, a man who professed to having become a medical doctor solely to finance his orchid-hunting forays. Rare orchids acquired by the Marshes and the good doctor were put under the meticulous stewardship of the Los Angeles County Arboretum arboretum: see botanical garden. arboretum Place where trees, shrubs, and sometimes herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes. An arboretum may be a collection in its own right or a part of a botanical garden. . ``Fowlie knew the people who knew where the orchids were,'' said Red Marsh, 88. ``No matter how remote the setting, he found them. He never cared about accommodations.'' Hence the leeches. But that was 30 years ago, before the Endangered Species Act The federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C.A. §§ 1531 et seq.) was enacted to protect animal and plant species from extinction by preserving the ecosystems in which they survive and by providing programs for their conservation. . Today, many of the world's rare orchids are disappearing. A small number of illegal orchid traffickers cater to renegade collectors who have been known to fork out thousands for a single flower, according to Alice Gripp of the Santa Barbara Orchid Estate. This in turn has led to a number of spectacular global sting operations. In 1994, smugglers of a rare type of Vietnamese lady slipper were tracked by police to Hong Kong, followed to Taiwan and finally arrested at the world's largest orchid show, the Japan Grand Prix
The Japan Grand Prix was an annual professional wrestling tournament held by the promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) to International in Tokyo. The Endangered Species Act is controversial among orchid growers because while it protects rare orchids from illegal traffickers, it keeps would-be rescuers from taking seed samples and propagating threatened species. ``They blame deforestation deforestation Process of clearing forests. Rates of deforestation are particularly high in the tropics, where the poor quality of the soil has led to the practice of routine clear-cutting to make new soil available for agricultural use. on orchid people,'' said Gloria Wildharber of Westchester, who has been growing orchids and attending the Santa Barbara show for more than 20 years, ``but we're saving species.'' Diane Booth agrees. ``Growers receive seeds of nearly extinct species and reproduce them. There are a lot of orchid habitats that have disappeared, and this is the only way of keeping species from extinction.'' Take a drive to flower fest Hours for the Santa Barbara International Orchid show are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $6 general, $4 seniors and students. Children under 12 are free, accompanied by an adult. The Earl Warren Showgrounds is located in Santa Barbara at the Las Positas exit off the 101 Freeway. Information: (805) 967-6331. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, Box Photo: (1) Diane Booth, tending the fragile blooms in her West Hills greenhouse, is representing the San Fernando Valley Orchid Society at this weekend's Santa Barbara International Orchid Show. (2) This phalaenopsis orchid represents one of about 300 species grown by Booth, president of her San Fernando Valley orchid group. John McCoy/Daily News Box: Take a drive to flower fest (See Text) |
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