"Q: ... cattleya species... recommendations... regarding those that are exceptional?" ... Answer [Arthur Chadwick]: ... three stand out...
C labiata: ... the first cattleya discovered... in 1817 in northern Brazil... it remained "lost" for the next 70 years... It was rediscovered by accident in 1899... Within a few years, nearly 25,000 C labiatas were being imported annually into Great Britain alone. ... robust grower blooms in the fall with up to four or five large flowers in white, varying shades of lavender, and the... combination of white petals and sepals with a dark purple... or lip. C trianaei[trianae]: Found in 1842 in Colombia, it was named after botanist Jose Triana... Now [considered] the National Flower of Colombia... it blooms in the winter... round shape... range of color variations, from ... pastel shades to flared and feathered petal tips... The flowers last for six weeks [one month !]... C mossiae: Discovered in Venezuela in 1836, it was named after avid plant collector Mrs. Moss of England... blooms in March, April and May... rose-lavender hues and marbled frilly lip, this cattleya is the national flower of Venezuela. Many growers consider C mossiae to be the easiest of all cattleyas to grow and bloom." URL : http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/entertainment.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-07-24-0019.html *************** Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
