More on E. helleborine in Toronto

Rhodora is a quarterly publication of the Journal of the New England Botanical Club. The publication began in 1899, and the older issues are available online in full text through a digitization project called Botanicus, which is "a freely accessible, Web-based encyclopedia of digitized 18th and 19th century botanical literature from the Missouri Botanical Garden Library."

There is an interesting annecdote at the bottom of page 52 of the first issue (Vol. 1, No. 1 (1899)). If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you will see a reference to Epipactis helleborine in Toronto prior to 1898.

Urban wild orchids

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Originally uploaded by meadow moon

I discovered my first wild Ontario orchid last week, just down the road from where we are staying, next to Lake Ontario. Sasha suggested it is an Epipactis, and I suspect it is Epipactis helleborine, which we also have in Victoria!

I did a little bit of research and apparently this is not a native orchid to Ontario, but was introduced from Europe and has since naturalized. According to the Quarterly Newsletter of the Long Island Botanical Society (Vol. 14, No. 4, Fall 2004, p.6), E. helleborine was first recorded in North America near Syracuse, in 1879.

Orchids on the move!

Well, my west coast orchid collection has been temporarily disbanded! I've relocated to Toronto for awhile, and have had to split up my collection while we search for a new home. I have left a box of 15 species in Sasha's care - thanks, Sasha! Below is a picture of the plants I left in Sasha's care. I miss them!



I also shipped about one dozen hardier hybrid plants via Canada Post regular mail. I wrapped them in paper and piled them inside a big box. Included were a Cymbidium, Zygopetalum, some Maxillarias and Brassidiums, as well as a Cattleya. The plants have arrived and seem to have survived about 10 days with no light and water with no problem! I think Canada Post even kept the box upright the whole time, so I am pretty impressed.

The third small patch of plants came along with us on our drive across the country. These were small plants that needed daily water. These plants seem to have survived their journey as well, and one of them, the Bulb. lasiochilum, even has a bud on it now!