''Cattleya purpurata'', known in the past as ''Laelia purpurata'' and ''Sophronitis purpurata'', is native to Brazil where it is very popular among orchid growers. It is an

epiphyte 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 ...

that is found in the canopy of tall trees near coastal areas, in the Brazilian states of

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...

, Santa Catarina and São Paulo. The orchid favors bright light and cool to warm conditions and is relative easy to cultive. ''C. purpurata'' has been used extensively as a parent in hybridizing with Cattleyas. ''Cattleya purpurata'' blooms from late spring to fall with three to five flowers on a spike. The flowers are long-lasting and fragrant.

Horticultural forms

* C. purpurata f. alba; white lip, sepals and petals * C. purpurata f. carnea; pink lip, white sepals and petals * C. purpurata f. flammea; magenta lip, pink sepals and white petals * C. purpurata f. oculata; purple patches on lip, white sepals and petals * C. purpurata f. roxo-violeta; light reddish purple lip, white sepals and petals * C. purpurata f. rubra; magenta lip, pink sepals and petals * C. purpurata f. sanguinea; magenta lip, sepals and petals * C. purpurata f. striata; magenta lip, pink vein pattern sepals and petals * C. purpurata f. vagnota; dark red lip, white sepals and petals * C. purpurata f. vinicolor; dark red lip with small white patch at the end, white sepals and petals * C. purpurata f. werkhaeuserii; light bluish lip, white sepals and petals Image:Laelia purpurata oculata.JPG, Cattleya purpurata var. oculata Image:LaeliaPurpurataAlba.jpg, Cattleya purpurata f. alba

Hybrids

Cattleya × elegans ''Cattleya'' × ''elegans'' is a hybrid orchid in the subtribe Laeliinae. It is a pseudobulb epiphyte. Its formula hybridae is '' Cattleya purpurata'' (Lindl. & Paxton) Van den Berg (2008) × '' Cattleya tigrina'' A.Rich. (1848). It is found i ...

'' is a hybrid orchid with a formula hybridae ''Cattleya purpurata'' (Lindl. & Paxton) Van den Berg (2008) × ''

Cattleya tigrina ''Cattleya tigrina'' is a bifoliate species of '' Cattleya'' orchid. The diploid chromosome number of ''C. tigrina'' has been determined as 2''n'' = 40.page 251 of L. P. Felix and M. Guerra: "Variation in chromosome number and the ...

'' A.Rich. (1848). It is found in South and South-East Brazil.

References

External links

*
purpurata'' = ''Laelia purpurata''. The Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia

purpurata'' At Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1946859 purpurata purpurata Epiphytic orchids Orchids of Brazil Garden plants Taxa named by John Lindley Taxa named by Joseph Paxton