''Cattleya'' () is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

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 flowering ...

s from

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

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 In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

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 stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is a terminal

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

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 coined b ...

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 John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...

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 c ...

. Cattley obtained a specimen of then unnamed ''

Cattleya labiata ''Cattleya labiata'', also known as the crimson cattleya or ruby-lipped cattleya, is the type species of ''Cattleya'', discovered in 1818 in Brazil. This plant grows in the northeastern area of Brazil, in the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas. Th ...

'' 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 ''Cattleya'' () is a genus of orchids from Costa Rica south to Argentina. The genus is abbreviated C in trade journals. Description Epiphytic or terrestrial orchids with cylindrical rhizome from which the fleshy noodle-like roots grow. Ps ...

'' (= ''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 jou ...

'' × ''Cattleya'' * × ''Brassolaeliocattleya'' = ''

'' × ''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'' × ''

'' * × ''Rhyncholaeliocattleya'' = ''

Rhyncholaelia ''Rhyncholaelia'', abbreviated ''Rl.'' in the horticultural trade, is a genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae), comprising two species. They are distributed in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. Both species were originally published in '' ...

'' × ''Cattleya''

Cultivation

* ''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 r ...

; 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 Orchids
Orchids of Costa Rica
Breeding Cattleya
Breeding in Cattleyas

* ttp://www.floridanaturepictures.com/orchids/orchid.html Orchid Picture Gallery
American Orchid Society - Orchid Web

Cattleya Orchid Forum

van 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.org
Cattleya Species {{Authority control Laeliinae genera