June 2019 – Paul Tuskes

Paul TuskesWe are delighted to welcome back Dr. Paul Tuskes of the San Diego County Orchid Society as our June speaker.  Paul will be giving us a talk on Schomburkias . His presentation will deal with three orchid genera Schomburgkia, Myrmecophila, and Laelia, which are really only two genera.  Paul will examine the similarities and differences between Schomburgkia and its relatives, including morphology and DNA sequencing. What makes a genus?  The rest of the talk will focus on the individual species and their culture… so bring your questions.  This group of orchids is generally great outdoor growers in our area and some should be included in everyone’s collection.

Paul is an excellent orchid grower and lecturer.  He has been growing orchids for over 30 years and his photographs have been used in various books and journals. He grows a wide variety of orchids in his greenhouse and outdoors.  Paul serves as an American Orchid Society judge and co-founded with his wife, Ann, the orchid species study group of the San Diego County Orchid Society. He was one of the first members of that society’s conservation group, which received a Conservation Achievement award from the American Orchid Society. Paul and Ann also have traveled in Central and South America to search for orchids in the wild.

This month’s opportunity table will be provided by one of our local orchid nurseries.