Cattleya - Catalaya Flower

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Cattleya is a genus of orchids from Costa Rica south to Argentina. The genus is abbreviated C in trade journals.

Cattleya Orchid - Gum Paste Flower Store

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Description

Epiphytic or terrestrial orchids with cylindrical rhizome from which the fleshy noodle-like roots grow. Pseudobulbs 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 is a terminal raceme with few or several flowers. Flowers have sepals 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 polliniums (bag-like organs that contain pollen). The fruit is a capsule with many small seeds.

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Taxonomy

The genus was named in 1824 by John Lindley after horticulturalist William Cattley. 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

C. aurea (S. Panama to Colombia)
C. dowiana (Costa Rica).
C. gaskelliana (Colombia to Trinidad).
C. iricolor (Ecuador to Peru).
C. jenmanii (Venezuela to Guyana).
C. labiata (Brazil)
C. luteola (N. Brazil, Ecuador to Bolivia).
C. mendelii (NE. Colombia).
C. mooreana (Peru).
C. mossiae (N. Venezuela)
C. percivaliana (Colombia to W. Venezuela).
C. quadricolor (Colombia)
C. rex (Peru to N Bolivia).
C. schroederae (NE. Colombia).
C. trianae (Colombia).
C. warneri (E. Brazil).
C. warscewiczii (Colombia).

Series Cattleyodes

C. crispa (SE. Brazil)
C. grandis (Brazil - SE. Bahia to N. Espírito Santo).
C. lobata (SE. Brazil.)
C. perrinii (SE. Brazil)
C. purpurata (SE. & S. Brazil)
C. tenebrosa (Brazil - SE. Bahia to Espírito Santo).
C. virens (SE. Brazil)
C. xanthina (Brazil - Bahia to Espírito Santo).

Series Hadrolaelia

C. alaorii (Brazil - Bahia).
C. bicalhoi (Brazil - S. Minas Gerais to Rio de Janeiro).
C. jongheana (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. praestans (SE. Brazil)
C. pumila (SE. & S. Brazil)
C. sincorana (Brazil - Bahia).

Series Microlaelia

C. lundii (Bolivia to Argentina).

Series Parviflorae

C. alvarenguensis
C. alvaroana (Brazil - Rio de Janeiro).
C. angereri (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. blumenscheinii (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. bradei (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. briegeri (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. campacii (Brazil).
C. caulescens (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. cinnabarina (Brazil - S. Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro).
C. colnagoi (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. conceicionensis Brazil - Minas Gerais)
C. crispata (Brazil - Minas Gerais)
C. endsfeldzii (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. esalqueana (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. flavasulina (Brazil - Minas Gerais)
C. fournieri (Brazil - Minas Gerais)
C. ghillanyi (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. gloedeniana (Brazil - São Paulo)
C. gracilis (Brazil - Minas Gerais: Serra do Cipó)
C. guanhanensis
C. harpophylla (Brazil - Minas Gerais to Espírito Santo).
C. hatae
C. hegeriana
C. hispidula (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. hoehnei (Brazil - Espírito Santo)
C. itambana (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. kautskyana (Brazil - Espírito Santo).
C. kettieana (Brazil - Minas Gerais)
C. kleberi
C. liliputana (Brazil - Minas Gerais: Serra do Ouro Branco).
C. locatellii
C. longipes (SE. Brazil - Serra do Cipó).
C. luetzelburgii (Brazil - Bahia).
C. macrobulbosa
C. marcaliana (Brazil - Bahia).
C. milleri (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. mirandae (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. munchowiana (Brazil - Espírito Santo).
C. neokautskyi (SE. Brazil)
C. pabstii (Brazil - Minas Gerais)
C. pendula (Brazil - Minas Gerais)
C. pfisteri (Brazil - Bahia).
C. presidentensis (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. reginae (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. rupestris
C. sanguiloba (Brazil - Bahia)
C. tereticaulis
C. vandenbergii
C. vasconcelosiana
C. verboonenii (Brazil - Rio de Janeiro).
C. viridiflora

Series Sophronitis

C. acuensis (Brazil - Rio de Janeiro).
C. alagoensis (Brazil - Alagoas)
C. brevipedunculata (Brazil - Minas Gerais).
C. cernua (Brazil to NE. Argentina).
C. coccinea (Brazil to NE. Argentina).
C. dichroma (Brazil - Rio de Janeiro).
C. mantiqueirae (SE. Brazil).
C. pygmaea (Brazil - Espírito Santo).
C. wittigiana (Brazil - Espírito Santo).

Section Lawrenceanae

C. lawrenceana (Venezuela, Guyana, N. Brazil).
C. lueddemanniana (N. Venezuela).
C. wallisii (N. Brazil)

Subgenus Cattleyella

C. araguaiensis (Brazil)

Subgenus Intermediae

C. aclandiae (Brazil)
C. amethystoglossa (Brazil)
C. bicolor (SE. Brazil)
C. dormaniana (Brazil)
C. elongata (Brazil)
C. forbesii (Brazil)
C. granulosa (Brazil)
C. guttata (Brazil).
C. harrisoniana (SE. Brazil).
C. intermedia (SE. & S. Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay).
C. kerrii (Brazil).
C. loddigesii (SE. Brazil to NE. Argentina).
C. nobilior (WC. Brazil to Bolivia).
C. porphyroglossa (Brazil).
C. schilleriana (Brazil).
C. schofieldiana (Brazil)
C. tenuis (NE. Brazil).
C. tigrina (SE. & S. Brazil).
C. velutina (Brazil)
C. violacea (lowland Amazon rainforest & Guyana).
C. walkeriana (WC. & SE. Brazil).

Subgenus Maximae

C. maxima (Venezuela to Peru).

Perfume Project NW: CATTLEYA ORCHIDS: THE ORIGINAL FRUITY FLORAL SCENT

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Natural hybrids

Currently accepted natural hybrids are:

How To Make Cattleya Orchid Flower From Crepe Paper - Craft ...

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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; fertilizers must be applied during the growth season. To avoid salt accumulation in the substrate, water thoroughly between fertilizer applications.

How to Grow Stunning Cattleya Orchids Indoors

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In popular culture

The phrase "to do a cattleya" is used as a playful euphemism for amorous fondling by the characters Odette and Swann in Marcel Proust's novel Remembrance of Things Past.
The main character in the 2011 action film Colombiana played by Zoe Saldana is named Cataleya. The film prominently features the Colombian flower as Cataleya's calling card and it is a major part of some versions of the movie poster.

Source of the article : Wikipedia