An estimated 300 orchids were put up for sale to the highest bidders Sunday afternoon during an auction sponsored by the Triangle Orchid Society.

The auction brought orchid enthusiasts from as far away as Southern Pines to a picnic shelter at William B. Umstead State Park, where about 50 bidders sat on picnic tables for the event.

Orchids are a large family of plants that usually have showy-petaled flowers. There are about 30,000 species.

"The auction is a great place to get new and unusual plants," said Judith Goldstein, chairwoman of the auction. "Orchid lovers appreciate beauty."

Many of the bidders are avid collectors of the delicate flowers, saying their hobby has turned into an addiction.

Each plant has its own personality, members say.

The interaction with the plants often defines the unusual auctions.

Auctioneers slowly walked past the bidders, cooing over the orchids they held.

There was no fast-talking.

With a deliberate cadence, the auctioneers had no trouble pronouncing six-syllable Latin words identifying each plant.

The bidders pressed their noses into the flowers, searching for a fragrance.

"Go ahead and feel it. It's OK," Rick Cavallaro, one of the auctioneers, encouraged the bidders.

Some did as he said, lightly touching the orchids, before raising their hands to confirm a bid.

Bidders don't use a scientific process to determine how much an orchid is worth, said Paul Virtue, the society's president.

He said here are usually three groups of people who attend the auctions: the academic, the grower and the decorator.

Academics buy for scientific purposes, while decorators buy to enhance the aesthetics of their living space, Virtue said.

"A lot of people come and see what is here, and if they like it, they'll buy it," Virtue said. "Scarcity and how desirable the orchids are help determine the price."

Within two hours, Mabel Hicks had amassed a mini-collection of orchids. Hicks also paid one of the highest prices of the day -- $62 -- for a plant that was about 2 feet high but not in bloom.

"They say it blooms at Christmas," she explained.

Hicks is a grower, saying she has a greenhouse filled with several hundred orchids. She bought at least nine orchids. Auctioneers often started the bidding at $15.

"I just see a good plant that I want, and I buy it," Hicks said. "And I'm helping the group out."

The money from the auction will be used to help the group cover operating expenses, Goldstein said.

The society meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham.

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