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Cattleya rex is a species of epiphytic orchid of showy white flowers, native to montane forests in Peru and Bolivia.
| Cattleya rex | |
|---|---|
_pl._8377_(1911).jpg) | |
| Cattleya rex flowers and leaf. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Genus: | Cattleya |
| Subgenus: | Cattleya subg. Cattleya |
| Section: | Cattleya sect. Cattleya |
| Species: | C. rex |
| Binomial name | |
| Cattleya rex O'Brien | |
Epiphytic herb with cylindric or spindle-shaped pseudobulbs, up to 35 cm. high, with one leaf at the top.[1][2] Leaf oblong or elliptic-oblong, obtuse, light green, up to 35 cm. long and up to 6 cm. wide, coriaceous.[1][2] Inflorescence up to 20.3 cm. high, with 3 to 6 (or 10) flowers.[1][3] Flowers large and showy, up to 17 cm wide, with sepals and petals being cream-colored or ivory white, except the lip or labellum, which is colored with yellow, rose and red.[1][2][4][5][3] Sepals narrowly elliptic; petals ovate, elliptic or rhomboid; lip folded to form a tube, with very wavy front margin.[1][2][4][3] Pollinia 4, with curved appendages.[2]
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James O'Brien described the species for the first time in 1890 from a live flowering plant collected in the area of Moyobamba, San Martín by Mr. Bungeroth and cultivated at L'Horticulture International, Brussels, by Mr. L. Linden.[1][2][4][5] That was the first known flowering plant outside the native habitat of C. rex.[2][4]
Cattleya rex is known from a few localities in the regions of San Martin and Puno in Peru and the department of La Paz in Bolivia.[1][6][7][8] It occurs in montane forests and low montane seasonally dry forests at 800–2500 m, growing on tree branches.[6][7][8]
In its native habitat, flowering occurs between December and March.[6]
Cattleya rex has been assigned an endangered conservation status in 1997 by the IUCN.[9] Previously believed to be a Peruvian endemic, in 2013 a new locality was reported in Bolivia, thus increasing the area of extension for the species.[8]
Cattleya rex requires a temperate climate (16 °C at night and 28 °C during the day) and good ventilation (a dark and enclosed environment will attract fungi or bacterial diseases).[10][3]
This species does not tolerate dryness for long periods, so watering must be done regularly and should be reduced in frequency during winter.[10][3] However, the growing medium (cork slabs, baskets or pots) must have good drainage, so the roots can dry properly after watering or root rot may appear.[10][3]
Light requirements are high but not direct sunlight. Shade is needed during summer and brightest days of other seasons (especially if leaves turn yellow).[10][3]
Humidity must be between 50-70%, it can be achieved with the help of misters or humidifiers.[10][3]
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