Cattleya aurantiaca - or is it?

[Guldal]

Earlier this year I bought this plant as a division of a very well established plant from a private, German collector. I wondered about the size of the pseudobulbs, when it arrived, as they are twice as tall as my other (admittedly younger, but still blooming size) plants of this species?

As I'm something of a novice, when it comes to Catt.s, I would be very happy with some input from all you well versed Catt-women and -men:

Do you think the plant is the genuine article, maybe polyploid - or are we rather threading the duplicitous paths of the land of hybridization?


Close up of flowers:
Flowers and plant in toto:

The longest of the previous flowering pseudobulbs measure respectively 25 and 28 cm; the two presently flowering 17 and 14 cm.
NS: 3,2-3,5 cm. Height: 4 cm.

 

[PaphMadMan]

The form of the plant and flowers look typical to me, and the flower quality doesn't even look like a highly selected form. To get this close to the species a hybrid would have to be 3/4 or more (probably more), and to what purpose if not flower quality? I would look at flower size compared to awards and only suspect an issue of they were beyond the upper reaches of award size. The flowers do look solid, with thick tepals, and if the plant is capable of uncommonly robust growth it may be higher than diploid, but I don't think I would suspect a hidden hybrid.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Jens, nice flowers.

This one is within the range of color, size and vegetative properties of the species.

 

[monocotman]

I agreee, it looks like the species. Just a nice vigorous form! There is a lot of morphological variation within many of the cattleya species. It’s quite common to get some plants that grow much taller or shorter than the regular forms.
David

 

[PeteM]

Wow what a show. I see your concern, mine is ‘stumpy’ and most of what I have seen is the same sized pseudo bulbs. I was lucky to get 3 flowers the first bloom. Yours is very well grown. Love the color.

 

[SouthPark]

It is wonderful. I think it passes my eye test in that it is aurantiaca.