About Us

Gastrorchis humblotii

The Orchid Study Group was formed in 2005 and welcomes everyone with an interest in orchids. We meet once a month at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, and in September 2008 the group organised the Principality’s first-ever Orchid Festival of Wales which was held at the National Botanic Garden. A series of field trips and visits to external sites and organisations are also part of our yearly programme.

Aims of the Group

To promote the academic study of orchids and their biology and thereby establish a focus group worthy of a National Botanic Garden.

To nurture individuals within the membership who wish to pursue specialist fields of orchid study.

Eventually, as funds become available, to provide small grants to students researching orchids.

To promote the cultivation and ex-situ conservation of orchids.

To educate the public about orchids by means of lectures, informal discussions, open days and exhibitions.

To help support the conservation of the native orchid flora.

To collaborate with other bodies, societies, groups and individuals with orchid interests.

To advise and assist with the development of an educationally representative living orchid collection at the National Botanic Garden of Wales and to train the present gardeners and volunteers in the cultivation of orchids.

To establish a resource centre of orchid literature, illustrations, photographs and orchid-based historical material.

To promote the history of orchid cultivation and science as it relates to Wales.

To promote further interest in orchids by visiting other botanical gardens, orchid shows, orchid nurseries, orchid fairs etc.

To host visiting speakers and orchid societies during their visits to the Garden.

Amcanion y Gymdeithas

I hyrwyddo astudiaethau academaidd sy’n ymwneud â thegeirianau a’u bywydeg ac felly sefydlu grŵp ffocws sy’n deilwng o’r Ardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol.

I feithrin unigolion o fewn yr aelodaeth a hoffai weithio mewn meysydd arbennig o ran astudio tegeirianau.

Ym mhen hir a hwyr, pan fydd arian ar gael, darparu grantiau bychain ar gyfer myfyrwyr sy’n ymchwilio i degeirianau.

I hyrwyddo tyfu tegeirianau a’u gwarchod ex-situ.

I addysgu’r cyhoedd am degeirianau drwy drefnu darlithoedd, trafodaethau anffurfiol, diwrnodau agored ac arddangosfeydd.

I gynorthwyo cefnogi a chynnal gwarchodaeth ein tegeirianau brodorol.

I gydweithio gyda chyrff, cymdeithasau, grwpiau ac unigolion eraill sy’n ymddiddori mewn tegeirianau.

I ymgynghori a chynorthwyo wrth i Ardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru ddatblygu casgliad cynrychiadol ac addysgol o degeirianau ac i hyfforddi’r garddwyr a’r gwirfoddolwyr presennol wrth iddynt dyfu tegeirianau.

I sefydlu canolfan adnoddau o lenyddiaeth ar degeirianau, lluniau, ffotograffau a deunydd hanesyddol sy’n ymwneud â thegeirianau.

I hyrwyddo hanes tyfu tegeirianau a gwyddoniaeth tegeirianau sy’n ymwneud â Chymru.

I hyrwyddo rhagor o ddiddordeb mewn tegeirianau drwy ymweld â gerddi botanegol eraill, sioeau tegeirianau, meithrinfeydd tegeirianau ac ati.

I groesawu darlithwyr a chymdeithasau tegeirianau pan fyddant yn ymweld â’r Ardd.

Orchid species

Formation and development of the Group

The Orchid Study Group was established at the National Botanic Garden of Wales on Saturday, September 17th 2005 in order to provide a focus for orchids and their study within the Principality of Wales. Only some ten people were present on that occasion. Since then, the Group has gone from strength to strength under the chairmanship of botanist and orchidologist Dr. Kevin. L. Davies.

It is entirely appropriate that the Orchid Study Group was established in this region of Wales since, when it comes to these remarkable plants, the latter has a long and rich history. Not far from the National Botanic Garden once stood the old mansion house of Penllergare, home to the pioneer photographer and orchid grower John Dillwyn Llewelyn; son of the famous botanist and owner of the Swansea Pottery, Lewis Weston Dillwyn. It was here that John built a green house and it was here also that tropical orchids were grown for the first time ever under semi-natural conditions. Newly discovered orchids flowered here for the first time and it is probable that John was the first to record them by means of photography. Even today, the name of this influential family is commemorated in the names of orchids such as Eria dillwynii.

Another local town, Llanelli, was home to the industrialist and botanist James Motley for part of his life. The orchid Coelogyne motleyi was named in his honour. Some of his specimens can still be seen at the old Swansea Museum and the herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Eventually, Motley and his family emigrated but unfortunately were horrifically slaughtered shortly thereafter.

Sefydlwyd y Grŵp Astudio Tegeirianau yng Ngardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru ar Ddydd Sadwrn, Medi 17eg 2005 er mwyn rhoi pwyslais ar degeirianau a’u hastudiaeth o fewn y Dywysogaeth. Dim ond rhyw ddeng o bobl oedd yn bresennol ar yr achlysur hwnnw. Ers hynny, mae’r Grŵp wedi mynd o nerth i nerth o dan gadeiryddiaeth y botanegydd a’r tegeirianwr Dr. Kevin L. Davies.

Mae’n hollol addas y cafodd y Grŵp Astudio Tegeirianau ei sefydlu yn yr ardal hon o Gymru am fod ganddi hanes hir a chyfoethog o ran y planhigion hynod hyn. Nid nepell o'r Ardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol safai hen blasty Penllergare, cartref y ffotograffydd a thyfwr tegeirianau arloesol John Dillwyn Llewelyn; mab y botanegydd enwog a pherchennog chrochenwaith Abertawe, Lewis Weston Dillwyn. Yma adeiladwyd tŷ gwydr gan John ac yma tyfwyd tegeirianau trofannol o dan amgylchiadau lled naturiol am y tro cyntaf erioed. Yma hefyd, gwnaeth nifer ohonynt a oedd newydd gael eu darganfod, flodeuo am y tro cyntaf ac mae’n eithaf sicr mai John oedd y cyntaf i ddefnyddio ffotograffiaeth i’w rhoi ar gof a chadw . Hyd yn oed heddiw, caiff enw’r teulu dylanwadol hwn ei ddathlu mewn enwau tegeirianau, megis Eria dillwynii.

Tref leol arall, sef Llanelli, oedd cartref y diwydiannwr a botanegydd James Motley am ran o’i fywyd. Cafodd y tegeirian Coelogyne motleyi ei enwi ar ei ôl. Mae rhai o’r sbesimenau a gasglwyd ganddo i’w gweld o hyd yn hen Amgueddfa Abertawe a herbariwm Gerddi Botanegol Brenhinol Kew. O’r diwedd, gwnaeth Motley a’i deulu allfudo ond yn anffodus cawsant eu lladd yn fuan wedyn o dan amgylchiadau dychrynllyd.

The Orchid Study Group of Wales would like to thank Daniel Williams for his kind permission to use his image of Paphiopedilum Claire de Lune as our logo.

Patron: Tom Hart Dyke

What's new: Gait Barrows Sikkim Visit 2011 Visit

About Us

Aims of the Group

Formation and development of the Group

What's new: Gait Barrows Sikkim Visit
2011 Visit