Cattleya

Cattleya gaskelliana

Cattleya is an orchid genus which is native to South America. It was named after the British orchid gardener William Cattley and comprises about 45 species, the epiphytic ( tree -dwelling ) or lithophytic ( rock -dwelling ) grow. Due to the large, colorful flowers, they are quite often seen in cultivation.

Description

From a creeping rhizome arise in each growing season elongated, round or oval in cross-section rung, which may be thickened to form club-shaped pseudobulbs grow or cylindrical and unthickened. Also, the growth of new roots happens periodically. At the top of the pseudobulbs sit one or two (rarely three) leathery to fleshy leaves, the shoots themselves are surrounded by membranous, drying up Lower leaves. The leaf shape is oval to broad - lanceolate. Based on the number of leaves per shoot, there are two groups, the so-called unifoliaten ( single-sheet, eg Cattleya labiata ) and the bifoliaten ( two-bladed, eg Cattleya intermedia) Cattleyas.

The racemose inflorescence appears terminally from a single or double spathe. He usually wears a few large flowers. Rarely, the inflorescence appears on a leafless shoot from the rhizome. The flowers are 'upside, fragrant, pink or yellow in color on the single-blade Cattleyas, brown - red, green, white and pink, sometimes spotted, at the two-leaf. The sepals are oblong - oval shaped, the petals are formed either equally or much broader, often with a pleated edge. The lip is three-lobed, the side lobes are indistinct deducted from the leaved species, in all types but bent downward by the column. Lip and column are not fused. There is a nectary which protrudes backwards into the ovary and so is not visible from the outside as a spur at the base of the lip. The column is white or pink, she wears at the end of the bent down against the floral axis stamen. This includes four pollinia.

The plants are pollinated by nectar -seeking bees. The rounded - oval fruit capsules need nine to ten months to maturity. The embryos are developed partially finished after three months, but the capsule opens much later.

The chromosome number is 2n = 40

Dissemination

The species of the genus Cattleya are widespread in the northern half of South America. Two centers of distribution are the Andes and southeastern Brazil. They grow there epiphytic, rarely on rocks or on the ground

System

Within the subfamily Epidendroideae the genus Cattleya in the tribe Epidendreae and there in the subtribe Laeliinae is classified. Cattleya is closely related to Brassavola, Cattleyella, Guarianthe and Rhyncholaelia. Within the genus can be as described above, divided into two groups based on the number of leaves per shoot and the flower shape. The leaved species ( subgenus Cattleya, Cattleya labiata type species ) are mainly in the Andes of Colombia and Venezuela before with only two species in eastern Brazil, the subgenus Intermediae has its area in southeastern Brazil.

Van den Berg suggested an extension of the genus Cattleya all Sophronitis species before (including in 2000 renamed Sphronitis of Laelia ).

The following 45 species have been described in this genus:

• Cattleya Lindl aclandiae. , Brazil.
• Cattleya amethystoglossa Linden & Rchb.f. ex R.Warner, Brazil.
• Cattleya bicolor Lindl. Cattleya bicolor ssp. bicolor, Brazil.
• Cattleya bicolor ssp. canastrensis L.C.Menezes & Braem, Brazil.
• Cattleya bicolor ssp. minasgeraensis Fowlie, Brazil.

• Cattleya aurea var dowiana ( Linden ) BSWilliams & Moore, Panama and Colombia.
• Cattleya dowiana var dowiana, Costa Rica.

• Cattleya loddigesii ssp. loddigesii, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
• Cattleya loddigesii ssp. purpurea Brieger, Brazil.

There occur several named natural hybrids. There is also the high number of 400 synonymous scientific name.

Culture

The species spawn large, colored flowers and were shortly after the introduction of the first plants to Europe, starting around 1830, popular ornamental plants. Numerous hybrids with related genera such as Laelia and Sophronitis, are commercially available. Almost all require a lot of light, a rest period with dry substrate and high humidity and good ventilation.

Documents

• Alec M. Pridgeon, Phillip Cribb, Mark W. Chase: Genera Orchidacearum. Vol 4/1: Epidendroidae ( Part one ). Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-19-850712-7, pp. 213-218.
• Carl L. Withner: The Cattleyas and Their relatives. Volume I: The Cattleyas. Timber Press, Portland, 1996, ISBN 0-88192-099-1.