19th
AOC Conference & Show
Perth, Western Australia
11th to 16th September 2012
"Wild About Orchids"
Mary E Gerritsen
"Orchid Hunting in Borneo"
Mary
Gerritsen, Ph.D. is an independent biotechnology consultant
who has been growing orchids (mostly species) on and off for more than
30 years, and since relocating to the San Francisco Bay area in 1997 started
to amass a collection of small cool growing miniature species such as
Masdevallias, Porroglossums, Lepanthes and other assorted tiny gems. She
also has a second intermediate greenhouse, filled with larger species
such as Angraecoids, Dendrobiums, Oncidiums, Laelias, Phalaenopsis and
Bulbophyllums.
She loves to see orchids growing in situ, and has made it her mission over the last few years to see as many as possible, with trips to see and photograph orchids (and other flora as well) in Canada, various states in the USA, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, China, Germany, Rhodes and Crete, Australia and most recently, Borneo.
She is the co-author of two botanical books: Masdevallias, Gems of the Orchid World, and Calochortus, Mariposa Lilies and their Relatives, with fellow San Francisco Orchid Society Member and well known photographer, Ron Parsons.
Mary is now working on a third book "Miniature
Orchids" with Ron Parsons. In addition to being a member of the San
Franciso Orchid Society, and the Pleurothallid Alliance, Mary has served
as the vice president and president of the Peninsula Orchid Society (San
Mateo). She is currently the president of the San Francisco Orchid Society.
