# Cattleya aurea



## dodidoki (Oct 30, 2020)

In bloom.


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## SouthPark (Oct 30, 2020)

The trance pattern is so amazing on the flowers of this kind of orchid! It is now known as C. dowiana var. aurea, right? Back in the older days, it was known as C. aurea ..... at least that's what the online sources are saying hehe.

Nice photographs!


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## DrLeslieEe (Oct 30, 2020)

Agree regarding the lip. 

Kudos DD for keeping it healthy and alive... not easy at all... the blooms are a testament to your skills!!

The accepted name according to WCSP Kew is Cattleya dowiana var aurea.


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## SouthPark (Oct 30, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> The accepted name according to WCSP Kew is Cattleya dowiana var aurea.



DLE ----- this following question isn't directly related to the above name, and I was actually just going to ask somebody (anybody) about whether 'var' is just 'var', or whether the formatting requires 'var.' with the dot? I personally have no problem with either, as both forms clearly gets the point across. It looks very tidy to have it as just *Cattleya dowiana var aurea*


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## Ozpaph (Oct 30, 2020)

Lovely flower

var, (dot), its an abbreviation so its a grammatical thing


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## abax (Oct 30, 2020)

The color contrasts are quite striking. Very nice close up.


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## SouthPark (Oct 31, 2020)

Ozpaph said:


> var, (dot), its an abbreviation so its a grammatical thing



Ok ...... oops..... I meant .... O.k. hehehe ....... thanks OP!


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## Ozpaph (Oct 31, 2020)

.............OK apparently does need 'stops' as its considered a word.
(where are you SP?)


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## dodidoki (Oct 31, 2020)

Thanks for comments.The newest therminology mentions as subspecies.Cattleya dowiana ssp. aurea.Variety is a different form within a population, but aurea lives in different geographical distribution, it has own populations, so it is not variety.However aurea has two varieties within its population: var. dureda and var. chrysotoxa.Mine is the latest.


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## SouthPark (Oct 31, 2020)

O.P. -------- up in north QLD mate. Are you in qld too?


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## monocotman (Oct 31, 2020)

How do you grow and keep this one alive?
Ive been tempted by these but they all say it difficult,
David


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## SouthPark (Oct 31, 2020)

MM ..... I grow one in the tropics ... and it can handle direct sunlight ...... but I avoid super intense sun during our most intense summer periods. I grow mine in 100% scoria. And I water the scoria mostly around the outskirts of the pot. The orchid is growing excellently in the tropical conditions here.

From what I've observed ....... I can say it is not difficult to grow. Very easy to grow.


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## monocotman (Oct 31, 2020)

Thanks Southpark. What is scoria? I have never heard of it before,
thanks
David


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## SouthPark (Oct 31, 2020)

Most welcome David ...... scoria is one sort of volcanic rock that has little pockets that can hang onto some water for a while ..... but can provide enough air space between rock chunks for orchid roots to get some airing ..... that's if the water is applied strategically so that the media doesn't get saturated. Shallow pots can help. But large deep pots can be used too ...... just depends on how the water is applied.

Locally .... our source of volcanic rock is called quincan gravel .... pronounced 'kwing kun gravel'. Scoria is known as lava rock too. I attached a couple of pics showing some of my catts in scoria.


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## Ozpaph (Oct 31, 2020)

SouthPark said:


> O.P. -------- up in north QLD mate. Are you in qld too?


Brisbane.


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## dodidoki (Oct 31, 2020)

I grow my catts in orchiata bark, 25 mm, in plastic pot.I water them if only bark dried out.They get much light, but never get direct sunlight, humidity is always high, around 80 percent.I have a high preassure mist maker and is switched on by a humidity sensor, I adjusted it to 80 % .Fertilizer is peters growing and bloom booster mix, 3/1 in spring, 2/1 in summer and 1/ 1 in fall and winter.Conductivity is 500 uS.


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## Guldal (Oct 31, 2020)

Pure, gorgeous gold!!! 

I have an older young plant of this ssp. Somehow I had an easier life, before reading, that it is considered more difficult to grow, than so many other Catts! Untill now it seems to grow well, and should I somehow succeed in keeping it alive to BS, I would certainly count myself a happy man, if I got flowers anywhere close to yours, dodi!


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## SouthPark (Oct 31, 2020)

Ozpaph said:


> Brisbane.



Thanks OP! My old mobile phone browser didn't show that extra info (such as location!) when I was posting earlier, but can now see that your location is Bris while on my regular computer browser! Some serious and amazing catt orchid breeding work had been (and probably still is) going on down there in Bris! I normally head to Bris for short trips visiting family after xmas, but will most likely not be travelling due to this ridiculous 2020 situation. That's ok ---- as things will settle for sure! Looking forward to visiting Bris again!


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## DrLeslieEe (Oct 31, 2020)

I j


dodidoki said:


> I grow my catts in orchiata bark, 25 mm, in plastic pot.I water them if only bark dried out.They get much light, but never get direct sunlight, humidity is always high, around 80 percent.I have a high preassure mist maker and is switched on by a humidity sensor, I adjusted it to 80 % .Fertilizer is peters growing and bloom booster mix, 3/1 in spring, 2/1 in summer and 1/ 1 in fall and winter.Conductivity is 500 uS.


I have tried so many of these without much success indoors. I think it really needs a GH.

I have one sole survivor who is thriving under SWC, dowiana rosita ‘Cashen’s’ JC/AOS division. I keep a constant eye on it.


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