''Cattleya'' () is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
orchid
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowerin ...
s from
Costa Rica south to
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
.
The genus is abbreviated C in trade journals.
Description
Epiphytic
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
or terrestrial orchids with cylindrical
rhizome from which the fleshy noodle-like roots grow.
Pseudobulb
The pseudobulb is a storage organ found in many epiphytic and terrestrial sympodial orchids. It is derived from a thickening of the part of a stem between leaf nodes and may be composed of just one internode or several, termed heteroblastic and ...
s can be conical, spindle-shaped or cylindrical; with upright growth; one or two leaves growing from the top of them. The leaves can be oblong, lanceolate or elliptical, somewhat fleshy, with smooth margin. The
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...
is a terminal
raceme with few or several flowers. Flowers have
sepal
A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...
s and petals free from each other; the
lip or labellum (lowermost petal), usually has a different coloration and shape from the rest of the flower and covers in part the
flower column forming a tube. There are four
pollinium A pollinium (plural pollinia) is a coherent mass of pollen grains in a plant that are the product of only one anther, but are transferred, during pollination, as a single unit. This is regularly seen in plants such as orchids and many species of mil ...
s (bag-like organs that contain pollen). The fruit is a capsule with many small seeds.
[Schweinfurth, C., "Orchidaceae, Orchids of Peru", ''Fieldiana, Botany'' 30(3): 535]
Taxonomy
The genus was named in 1824 by
John Lindley after horticulturalist
William Cattley
William Cattley (1788 – 8 August 1835) was a British merchant and horticulturist. He was significantly involved with the trade between Britain and Russia, including the importation of grain (generically called "corn") to England. He also ...
. Cattley obtained a specimen of then unnamed ''
Cattleya labiata'' from William Swainson who had discovered the new plant in Pernambuco, Brazil, in 1817. The plant successfully bloomed under the care of Cattley and it became the type specimen from which Lindley described ''C. labiata''.
Currently accepted species and subgeneric division within genus Cattleya are:
Subgenus Cattleya
Section Cattleya
Section Crispae
= Series Cattleyodes
=
= Series Hadrolaelia
=
= Series Microlaelia
=
= Series Parviflorae
=
= Series Sophronitis
=
Section Lawrenceanae
Subgenus Cattleyella
Subgenus Intermediae
Subgenus Maximae
Natural hybrids
Currently accepted natural hybrids are:
*''
Cattleya × adrienne (= Cattleya pumila × Cattleya jongheana)'' (Brazil)
*''
Cattleya × albanensis''
*''
Cattleya × amanda''
*''
Cattleya × binotii'' (= ) (Brazil)
*''
Cattleya × brasiliensis'' (= ''C. bicolor'' × ''C. harrisoniana'') (Brazil)
*''
Cattleya × braunae''
*''
Cattleya × britoi'' (''= C. crispata'' x ''C. mirandae'') (Brazil - Minas Gerais)
*''
Cattleya × brymeriana'' (= ''C. violacea'' × ''C. wallisii'') (N. Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × calimaniana'' (Brazil)
*''
Cattleya × calimaniorum'' (NE Brazil)
*''
Cattleya × carassana'' (Brazil)
*''
Cattleya × cattleyioides'' (Brazil)
*''
Cattleya × cipoensis'' (Brazil)
*''
Cattleya × colnagiana'' (Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × cristinae'' (Brazil).
*''Cattleya × cypheri''
*''Cattleya × dasilvae''
*''
Cattleya × dayana'' (= ''C. forbesii'' × ''C. guttata'') (Brazil).
*''Cattleya × deckeri''
*''Cattleya × delicata''
*''
Cattleya × diamantinensis (= C. pfisteri × C. sincorana)'' (Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × dolosa'' (= ''C. loddigesii'' × ''C. walkeriana'') (Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × dukeana'' (= ''C. bicolor'' × ''C. guttata'') (SE. Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × duveenii'' (= ''C. guttata'' × ''C. harrisoniana'') (SE. Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × elegans''
*''Cattleya × ericoi''
*''Cattleya × feldmanniana''
*''
Cattleya × fidelensis'' (Brazil - Rio de Janeiro).
*''Cattleya × frankeana''
*''Cattleya × gaezeriana''
*''Cattleya × gerhard-santosii''
*''Cattleya × gottoana''
*''
Cattleya × gransabanensis'' (= ''C. jenmanii'' × ''C. lawrenceana'') (Venezuela).
*''
Cattleya × gravesiana'' (= ''C. lueddemanniana'' × ''C. mossiae'') (Venezuela).
*''
Cattleya × hardyana'' (= ''C. dowiana var.aurea'' × ''C. warscewiczii'') (Colombia).
*''Cattleya × heitoriana''
*''Cattleya × hummeliana''
*''
Cattleya × hybrida'' (= ''C. guttata'' × ''C. loddigesii'') (SE. Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × imperator'' (= ''C. granulata'' × ''C. labiata'') (NE. Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × intricata
''Cattleya'' () is a genus of orchids from Costa Rica south to Argentina. The genus is abbreviated C in trade journals.
Description
Epiphyte, Epiphytic or terrestrial orchids with cylindrical rhizome from which the fleshy noodle-like roots ...
'' (= ''C. intermedia'' × ''C. leopoldii'') (S. Brazil).
*''Cattleya × irrorata''
*''Cattleya × isaacii''
*''
Cattleya × isabella
''Cattleya'' () is a genus of orchids from Costa Rica south to Argentina. The genus is abbreviated C in trade journals.
Description
Epiphyte, Epiphytic or terrestrial orchids with cylindrical rhizome from which the fleshy noodle-like roots ...
'' (= ''C. forbesii'' × ''C. intermedia'') (SE. Brazil).
*''Cattleya × itabapoanaensis''
*''Cattleya × jetibaensis''
*''
Cattleya × joaquiniana'' (= ''C. bicolor'' × ''C. walkeriana'') (Brazil) .
*''
Cattleya × kautskyi'' (= ''C. harrisoniana'' × ''C. warneri'') (SE. Brazil).
*''Cattleya × kerchoveana''
*''Cattleya × labendziana''
*''Cattleya × lambari''
*''Cattleya × lilacina''
*''
Cattleya × lucieniana'' (= ''C. forbesii'' × ''C. granulosa'') (SE. Brazil).
*''Cattleya × macguiganii''
*''
Cattleya × measuresii'' (= ''C. aclandiae'' × ''C. walkeriana'') (E. Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × mesquitae'' (= ''C. nobilior'' × ''C. walkeriana'') (Brazil).
*''Cattleya × mingaensis''
*''
Cattleya × mixta'' (= ''C. guttata'' × ''C. schofieldiana'') (Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × moduloi'' (''C. schofieldiana'' × ''C. warneri'') (Brazil).
*''Cattleya × mucugensis''
*''Cattleya × neocalimaniana''
*''Cattleya × neocalimaniorum''
*''Cattleya × neoreginae''
*''Cattleya × nesyana''
*''Cattleya × occhioniana''
*''Cattleya × odiloniana''
*''
Cattleya × patrocinii'' (= ''C. guttata'' × ''C. warneriana'') (SE. Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × picturata'' (= ''C. guttata'' × ''C. intermedia'') (SE. Brazil).
*''Cattleya × pittiana''
*''Cattleya × porphyritis''
*''Cattleya × porphyrophlebia''
*''Cattleya × raganii''
*''
Cattleya × resplendens'' (= ''C. granulosa'' × ''C. schilleriana'') (NE. Brazil)
*''Cattleya × rigbyana''
*''Cattleya × ruschii''
*''Cattleya × sancheziana''
*''Cattleya × schroederiana''
*''Cattleya × schunkiana''
*''Cattleya × schunkii''
*''
Cattleya × scita'' (= ''C. intermedia'' × ''C. tigrina'') (S. Brazil).
*''Cattleya × sgarbii''
*''Cattleya × sororia''
*''
Cattleya × tenuata'' (= ''C. elongata'' × ''C. tenuis'') (Brazil) .
*''Cattleya × varelae''
*''
Cattleya × venosa'' (= ''C. forbesii'' × ''C. harrisoniana'') (Brazil).
*''Cattleya × verelii''
*''
Cattleya × victoria-regina'' ( ''C. guttata'' × ''C. labiata'') (NE. Brazil).
*''Cattleya × victoriacarolinae''
*''Cattleya × wetmorei''
*''Cattleya × whitei''
*''
Cattleya × wilsoniana'' (= ''C. bicolor'' × ''C. intermedia''). (Brazil).
*''Cattleya × wyattiana'' (= ''C. crispa'' × ''C. lobata''). (Brazil).
*''Cattleya × zaslawskii'' (= ''C. harpophylla'' × ''C. praestans''). (Brazil).
*''
Cattleya × zayrae'' (= ''C. amethystoglossa'' × ''C. elongata''). (Bahia, Brazil)
Nothogenera
Hybrids of ''Cattleya'' and other genera are placed in the following
nothogenera:
*
× ''Brassocattleya'' = ''
Brassavola
''Brassavola'' is a genus of 21 orchids (family Orchidaceae). They were named in 1813 by the Scottish botanist Robert Brown. The name comes from the Italian nobleman and physician Antonio Musa Brassavola. This genus is abbreviated B. in trade jo ...
'' × ''Cattleya''
*
× ''Brassolaeliocattleya'' = ''
Brassavola
''Brassavola'' is a genus of 21 orchids (family Orchidaceae). They were named in 1813 by the Scottish botanist Robert Brown. The name comes from the Italian nobleman and physician Antonio Musa Brassavola. This genus is abbreviated B. in trade jo ...
'' × ''Cattleya'' × ''
Laelia
''Laelia'' is a small genus of 25 species in the orchid family (Orchidaceae). ''Laelia'' species are found in areas of subtropical or temperate climate in Central and South America, but mostly in Mexico. ''Laelia'' is abbreviated ''L.'' in the ...
''
*
× ''Cattleytonia'' = ''Cattleya'' × ''
Broughtonia''
*
× ''Laeliocattleya'' = ''Cattleya'' × ''
Laelia
''Laelia'' is a small genus of 25 species in the orchid family (Orchidaceae). ''Laelia'' species are found in areas of subtropical or temperate climate in Central and South America, but mostly in Mexico. ''Laelia'' is abbreviated ''L.'' in the ...
''
*
× ''Rhyncholaeliocattleya'' = ''
Rhyncholaelia'' × ''Cattleya''
Cultivation
![Cattleya mossiae forma coerulea Grito](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Cattleya_mossiae_forma_coerulea_Grito.jpg)
* ''Light''
:Cattleyas need light, but not direct sunlight; in case of intense sunlight, shade must be provided.
* ''Temperature''
:Day temperatures must be between 25-30 °C (77-86 °F) and night temperatures not lower than 10-12 °C (50-53.6 °F).
* ''Humidity''
:Must be between 40-70% with good ventilation; however plants must not be exposed to air currents.
* ''Watering''
:Water only if substrate is dry. It can be done once a week, but it all depends on the environmental conditions and the season.
* ''Fertilizing''
:Cattleyas can survive without fertilizing. However, it is advisable to use nitrogen-based fertilizers without
urea
Urea, also known as carbamide, is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest amide of carbamic acid.
Urea serves an important ...
; fertilizers must be applied during the growth season.
To avoid salt accumulation in the substrate, water thoroughly between fertilizer applications.
References
External links
*
*
* (enter "''Cattleya''" in search box).
More info About OrchidsOrchids of Costa Rica
Breeding CattleyaBreeding in Cattleyas
*
ttp://www.floridanaturepictures.com/orchids/orchid.html Orchid Picture GalleryAmerican Orchid Society - Orchid WebCattleya Orchid Forumvan den Berg, C. and M.W. Chase. 2000. Nomenclatural notes on Laeliinae - I. Lindleyana 15(2): 115-119
Photos of Thailand native cattleya orchids
Orchidroots.orgCattleya Species
{{Authority control
Laeliinae genera