Cattleya warscewiczii sanderiana

[monocotman]

Third blooming of this seedling that came from Orchids limited. They still have this grex for sale. It is hugely vigorous.
Despite crossing the Atlantic as a seedling and getting lost in the post for nearly a month it produced a growth that bloomed plus another smaller growth in the first season.
In the second year it did the same. This is the third season so a fifth growth.
The flowers are steadily increasing in size and number as the plant develops. The blooms are about 6.5 inches across. I removed a fourth bud as the spike was splitting the sheath to give the other three room to expand. The scent is delicious.


David

 

[Linus_Cello]

Good endorsement. OL is getting pretty expensive. I guess shouldn’t complain as I’m guessing shipping for you was really expensive.

 

[monocotman]

It is. Have to buy a few things to make it worthwhile. Brexit has put paid to it for the time being.

 

[abax]

Lovely harmonious colors and rather fine dorsal.

 

[monocotman]

Indeed Angela. I thought you’d like this trait! Both this clone and the semi alba gaskelliana have perfect pointy dorsals. Both are line bred.

 

[GuRu]

David, these are great and big flowers and the upright dorsal is a plus. Love them !

 

[Ozpaph]

The 'throat' is wonderful, too.

 

[NEslipper]

Beautiful! I have not had success with this species, but this one is superb!

 

[abax]

David, I like it because it looks like a "real" Catt....not a round ball of petals that
over lap. I've been looking at peloric Phals. available lately and Catts. too and
the over-breeding is atrocious. It's not that the over- breeding is somewhat
ugly to me, but I prefer to let nature predominate. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[monocotman]

Angela,
we all have our personal tastes, but as I got more into catts, I went in the same direction as yourself. For me a good form of a catt species is about as good as it gets,
David

 

[BrucherT]

David, I like it because it looks like a "real" Catt....not a round ball of petals that
over lap. I've been looking at peloric Phals. available lately and Catts. too and
the over-breeding is atrocious. It's not that the over- breeding is somewhat
ugly to me, but I prefer to let nature predominate. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[Katahdin]

David, I like it because it looks like a "real" Catt....not a round ball of petals that
over lap. I've been looking at peloric Phals. available lately and Catts. too and
the over-breeding is atrocious. It's not that the over- breeding is somewhat
ugly to me, but I prefer to let nature predominate. Just my opinion, of course.

I mostly agree with this - pelorics are usually pretty ugly and weird looking, with the exception of leopoldiis and other species with a nice lip but boring petals. Then again the resulting change of appearance is so drastic, is it really a species plant from a practical perspective?

In terms of species breeding, the "round at all costs" is not always appealing, imo. It makes sense for species like walkeriana and loddigesii where many or most natural specimens have this form and this breeding can be viewed as the refinement of their natural appearance. It makes less sense to me to breed species with a naturally attractive "star" shape into round blobs, such as c. purpurata.

That being said, OP's plant is a very very nice warscewiczii - its dorsals / sepals are perfectly straight, its petals are full, and the flower is flat. There are some jungle collected plants with this appearance, but I would suspect that this one is from selected stock - ie bred.

 

[monocotman]

According to their website this seedling is a cross between two select sanderiana clones, ‘war zone’ and ‘pink geisha’,
David

 

[Guldal]

Gorgeous, David...and, oh, that upright stance of its dorsal!

 

[Cearbhael]

According to their website this seedling is a cross between two select sanderiana clones, ‘war zone’ and ‘pink geisha’,
David

Orchids Limited are pretty much in my backyard (I am only 75 miles away) so shipping is cheap for them, I do think their prices can be a tad steep, but the quality of their orchids is high! I regret they no longer have a physical presence, a result of COVID and their Online site being so successful. I am constantly browsing online to see what beauties they are offering!