# Rlc. Lawless Walkiire ‘The Ultimate’ (Rlc. Hunting Island x Rlc. Toshie Aoki)



## southernbelle (Jul 30, 2020)

Photo does not do this color justice. I don’t know why one flower faced the right way and the other twisted. I tried to straighten it, but no luck.


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## Ozpaph (Jul 31, 2020)

nice, intense colour


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## southernbelle (Jul 31, 2020)

Actually deeper than the photo. This one in natural light is more representative. And the scent this morning is intoxicating.


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## Linus_Cello (Jul 31, 2020)

Lovely. Where’d you get this from?


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## southernbelle (Jul 31, 2020)

Linus_Cello said:


> Lovely. Where’d you get this from?


Linus: I got it from Waldor when he spoke at the VOS meeting in Richmond last year. I was taken by the deep saturation of color. It was in bloom, this is my first bloom with it.
Deborah


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## DrLeslieEe (Aug 3, 2020)

Well flowered.

Cattleya flowers twist wrongly due to several reasons in my experience:

1. Changing light direction while forming buds
2. Floral sheath too long for stem (may need to slice open sheath to let flowers breathe)
3. Short flower ovary or stem
4. Leaves form a barricade for flowers
5. Genetic influences of multifloral bifoliates that bloom with flowers facing up. 

Based on the pics, I suspect reason 2 as possible cause?


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## southernbelle (Aug 3, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Well flowered.
> 
> Cattleya flowers twist wrongly due to several reasons in my experience:
> 
> ...


Thank you, Dr Leslie! While I appreciated the comments on the flower, I was hoping someone would give insight on this.


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## Ozpaph (Aug 3, 2020)

very interesting observations, thanks


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## southernbelle (Aug 3, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Well flowered.
> 
> Cattleya flowers twist wrongly due to several reasons in my experience:
> 
> ...


Dr Leslie, here is another one in bloom that clearly has two buds that are going to be facing different ways.


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## DrLeslieEe (Aug 3, 2020)

Is your light from one direction or diffused from above?

In a case like this, I would use sticks to separate flowers to allow room to open, then twist the ovary part behind buds gently to normal stance (take care you don’t detach the bud off). Use a gentle twist holding the stem and ovary in increments of 3-5 degrees.


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## Teresa Koncolor (Aug 3, 2020)

southernbelle said:


> Actually deeper than the photo. This one in natural light is more representative. And the scent this morning is intoxicating.


Love it!


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## southernbelle (Aug 3, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Is your light from one direction or diffused from above?
> 
> In a case like this, I would use sticks to separate flowers to allow room to open, then twist the ovary part behind buds gently to normal stance (take care you don’t detach the bud off). Use a gentle twist holding the stem and ovary in increments of 3-5 degrees.


Light is from above. Because this is tall it is on the end of the table so could be reaching for greater light in center, but I don’t think so. I will try to separate flowers. I tried with ‘The Ultimate’ but had very little success but those stems were shorter. I also tried to twist it, but it didn’t work as I was afraid to grasp the stem too tightly, so the twist didn’t hold. Good challenge for me with this one.


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## DrLeslieEe (Aug 3, 2020)

Tip: hold the flower stem with one hand and the ovary (back of flower) with other hand, and twist gently, at 3 to 5 degrees turns. Do 5 times then repeat in a few hours.


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## southernbelle (Aug 3, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Tip: hold the flower stem with one hand and the ovary (back of flower) with other hand, and twist gently, at 3 to 5 degrees turns. Do 5 times then repeat in a few hours.


You are amazing, thanks. Now I just have to figure out which the back of the flower is!


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## southernbelle (Aug 7, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Tip: hold the flower stem with one hand and the ovary (back of flower) with other hand, and twist gently, at 3 to 5 degrees turns. Do 5 times then repeat in a few hours.


DrLeslieLe you are brilliant!! I never would have known you could twist it and it would begin to hold the position. I did it a couple of times a day!! Here are the before and after results just 4 days later just in time for the flowers to start to open!! Thank you!!


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## southernbelle (Aug 9, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Well flowered.
> 
> Cattleya flowers twist wrongly due to several reasons in my experience:
> 
> ...


Ok, DrLeslieEe here are fruits of your advice on correcting blooms facing the wrong direction!! Amazing to me that this worked! 
Rlc. Greenwich ‘Elmhurst’ AM/AOS (Lc. Ann Follis x Lester McDonald) Waldor-102.
The photo of the whole plant is so you see the placement of the flowers, after I did what you suggested, but I was experimenting with the light and the color is faded. Close up shows true colors.


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## DrLeslieEe (Aug 9, 2020)

Yayyyyy... a little patience and thumb/index rolling can go a long way. Well done! 

You are now officially a cattleya flower groomer !


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## DrLeslieEe (Aug 9, 2020)

The same method was applied to my labiata fm. linea-mosca-purpurata ‘The Three Amigos’ few months back. Makes more of an impact when lined together in a row:


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## Ozpaph (Aug 9, 2020)

buds will often come out of the sheath 'face-to-face' but usually 'splay' and self correct, especially if only 2 buds. Three or more is tricky and Leslie shows the benefit of gentle manipulation.


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## southernbelle (Aug 10, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> The same method was applied to my labiata fm. linea-mosca-purpurata ‘The Three Amigos’ few months back. Makes more of an impact when lined together in a row:
> 
> View attachment 21679


I think you did a better job than I did, these are perfectly positioned. I'll get the hang of it!!kk Beautiful display!!


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