Cattleya (/ˈkætliə/)[2] is a genus of orchids from Costa Rica south to Argentina.[1] The genus is abbreviated C in trade journals.[3]

Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...
Cattleya
Thumb
Cattleya labiata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Epidendreae
Subtribe: Laeliinae
Genus: Cattleya
Lindl.
Type species
Cattleya labiata
Synonyms[1]
List
    • Sophronia Lindl.
    • Sophronitis Lindl.
    • Maelenia Dumort.
    • Lophoglotis Raf.
    • × Sophrocattleya Rolfe
    • Eunannos Porta & Brade
    • Hoffmannseggella H.G.Jones
    • Dungsia Chiron & V.P.Castro
    • × Hadrocattleya V.P.Castro & Chiron
    • × Hadrodungsia V.P.Castro & Chiron
    • Hadrolaelia (Schltr.) Chiron & V.P.Castro
    • × Microcattleya V.P.Castro & Chiron
    • Microlaelia (Schltr.) Chiron & V.P.Castro
    • Cattleyella Van den Berg & M.W.Chase
    • Schluckebieria Braem
    • × Brasicattleya Campacci
    • Brasilaelia Campacci
    • Chironiella Braem
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Description

Epiphytic or terrestrial orchids with cylindrical rhizome from which the fleshy noodle-like roots grow. Pseudobulbs can be conical, spindle-shaped or cylindrical; with upright growth; one or two leaves growing from the top of them. The leaves can be oblong, lanceolate or elliptical, somewhat fleshy, with smooth margin. The inflorescence is a terminal raceme with few or several flowers. Flowers have sepals and petals free from each other; the lip or labellum (lowermost petal), usually has a different coloration and shape from the rest of the flower and covers in part the flower column forming a tube. There are four pollinia (bag-like organs that contain pollen). The fruit is a capsule with many small seeds.[4][5][6]

Taxonomy

The genus was named in 1824 by John Lindley after horticulturalist William Cattley. Cattley obtained a specimen of then unnamed Cattleya labiata from William Swainson who had discovered the new plant in Pernambuco, Brazil, in 1817. The plant successfully bloomed under the care of Cattley and it became the type specimen from which Lindley described C. labiata.[7]

Currently accepted species and subgeneric division within genus Cattleya are:[8][9][10][11][12][13]

  • Subgenus Cattleya
    • Section Cattleya
    • Section Crispae
      • Series Cattleyodes
      • Series Hadrolaelia
      • Series Microlaelia
      • Series Parviflorae
      • Series Sophronitis
    • Section Lawrenceanae
  • Subgenus Cattleyella
  • Subgenus Intermediae
  • Subgenus Maximae

Subgenus Cattleya

Section Cattleya

More information Image, Name ...
ImageNameDistributionElevation (m)
ThumbC. aureaS. Panama to Colombia300 – 1000 meters
ThumbC. dowianaCosta Rica250 – 1200 meters
ThumbC. gaskellianaColombia to Trinidad700 – 1000 meters
ThumbC. iricolorEcuador to Peru400 – 1220 meters
ThumbC. jenmaniiVenezuela to Guyana300 – 600 meters
ThumbC. labiataBrazil600 – 900 meters
ThumbC. luteolaN. Brazil, Ecuador to Bolivia100 – 1200 meters
ThumbC. mendeliiNE. Colombia1300 – 1800 meters
ThumbC. mooreanaPeruaround 990 meters
ThumbC. mossiaeN. Venezuela900 – 1500 meters
ThumbC. percivalianaColombia to W. Venezuela1300 – 2000 meters
ThumbC. quadricolorColombia600 – 1500 meters
C. rexPeru to N Boliviaaround 1350 meters
ThumbC. schroederaeNE. Colombia.
ThumbC. trianaeColombiaaround 1200 meters
ThumbC. warneriE. Brazil400 – 900 meters
ThumbC. warscewicziiColombia500 – 1700 meters
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Section Crispae

Series Cattleyodes
More information Image, Name ...
ImageNameDistributionElevation (m)
ThumbC. crispaSE. Brazil800 – 1500 meters
ThumbC. grandisBrazil - SE. Bahia to N. Espírito Santo.
ThumbC. lobataSE. Brazil.
ThumbC. perriniiSE. Brazil700 – 900 meters
ThumbC. purpurataSE. & S. Brazil
ThumbC. tenebrosaBrazil - SE. Bahia to Espírito Santo.
C. virensSE. Brazil1000 – 1500 meters
ThumbC. xanthinaBrazil - Bahia to Espírito Santo.
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Series Hadrolaelia
More information Image, Name ...
ImageNameDistributionElevation (m)
ThumbC. alaoriiBrazil - Bahia200 – 600 meters
ThumbC. bicalhoiBrazil - S. Minas Gerais to Rio de Janeiro500 – 2000 meters
ThumbC. jongheanaBrazil - Minas Gerais1300 – 1600 meters
ThumbC. praestansSE. Brazil300 – 500 meters
ThumbC. pumilaSE. & S. Brazil600 – 1300 meters
ThumbC. sincoranaBrazil - Bahia1100 – 1500 meters
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Series Microlaelia
More information Image, Name ...
ImageNameDistributionElevation (m)
ThumbC. lundiiBolivia to Argentina740 – 1000 meters
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Series Parviflorae
More information Image, Name ...
ImageNameDistributionElevation (m)
C. alvarenguensisBrazil - Minas Geraisaround 800 meters
ThumbC. alvaroanaBrazil - Rio de Janeiro
ThumbC. angereriBrazil - Minas Gerais1000–1300 meters
ThumbC. blumenscheiniiBrazil - Minas Geraisaround 1200 meters
C. bradeiBrazil - Minas Gerais1100 – 1400 meters
C. briegeriBrazil - Minas Geraisaround 1370 meter
C. campaciiBrazil
ThumbC. caulescensBrazil - Minas Gerais600 – 1200 meters
ThumbC. cinnabarinaBrazil - S. Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro800 – 1500 meters
ThumbC. colnagoiBrazil - Minas Gerais
C. conceicionensisBrazil - Minas Gerais800 – 1200 meters
ThumbC. crispataBrazil - Minas Gerais400 – 1200 meters
ThumbC. endsfeldziiBrazil - Minas Gerais900 meters
ThumbC. esalqueanaBrazil - Minas Gerais1100 – 1300 meters
C. flavasulinaBrazil - Minas Gerais900 – 1440 meters
ThumbC. fournieriBrazil - Minas Gerais1100 – 1800 meters
ThumbC. ghillanyiBrazil - Minas Gerais
C. gloedenianaBrazil - São Pauloaround 1600 meters
C. gracilisBrazil - Minas Gerais: Serra do Cipó
C. guanhanensisBrazil - Minas Geraisaround 1100 meters
ThumbC. harpophyllaBrazil - Minas Gerais to Espírito Santo500 – 900 meters
ThumbC. hataeBrazil - Minas Gerais1000 – 1100 meters
C. hegerianaBrazil - Rio de Janeiro1000 – 1200 meters
C. hispidulaBrazil - Minas Geraisaround 1200 meters
ThumbC. hoehneiBrazil - Espírito Santoaround 800 meters
C. itambanaBrazil - Minas Gerais1500 to 2200 meters
C. kautskyanaBrazil - Espírito Santo600 – 1000 meters
C. kettieanaBrazil - Minas Gerais1500 – 2000 meters
ThumbC. kleberiBrazil - Minas Geraisaround 1100 meters
ThumbC. liliputanaBrazil - Minas Gerais: Serra do Ouro Branco1200 – 1400 meters
C. locatelliiBrazil - Minas Gerais
ThumbC. longipesSE. Brazil - Serra do Cipó1300 – 2000 meters
ThumbC. luetzelburgiiBrazil - Bahia1100 – 1700 meters.
C. macrobulbosaBrazil - Espírito Santoaround 1600 meters
ThumbC. marcalianaBrazil - Bahia200 – 300 meters
ThumbC. milleriBrazil - Minas Gerais800 – 1300 meters
ThumbC. mirandaeBrazil - Minas Geraisaround 1300 meters
ThumbC. munchowianaBrazil - Espírito Santo1100 – 1300 meters
ThumbC. neokautskyiSE. Brazil600 – 1000 meters.
ThumbC. pabstiiBrazil - Minas Gerais1200 meters
C. pendulaBrazil - Minas Gerais
ThumbC. pfisteriBrazil - Bahiaaround 1300 meters
C. presidentensisBrazil - Minas Gerais1000 – 1300 meters
ThumbC. reginaeBrazil - Minas Gerais1200 – 2000 meters
ThumbC. rupestrisBrazil - Minas Gerais
C. sanguilobaBrazil – Bahia
ThumbC. tereticaulisBrazil - Minas Gerais
C. vandenbergiiBrazil - Minas Gerais
ThumbC. vasconcelosianaBrazil - Minas Geraisaround 1100 meters
C. verbooneniiBrazil - Rio de Janeiro
C. viridifloraBrazil - Minas Gerais
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Series Sophronitis
More information Image, Name ...
ImageNameDistributionElevation (m)
C. acuensisBrazil - Rio de Janeiro1800 – 2100 meters
C. alagoensisBrazil - Alagoas300 – 500 meters
ThumbC. brevipedunculataBrazil - Minas Gerais1220 – 2000 meters
ThumbC. cernuaBrazil to NE. Argentina2 – 100 meters
ThumbC. coccineaBrazil to NE. Argentina650 – 1670 meters
C. dichromaBrazil - Rio de Janeiro1200 – 1525 meters
ThumbC. mantiqueiraeSE. Brazil1200 – 1890 meters
ThumbC. pygmaeaBrazil - Espírito Santo915 – 1067 meters
ThumbC. wittigianaBrazil - Espírito Santo700 – 2000 meters
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Section Lawrenceanae

More information Image, Name ...
ImageNameDistributionElevation (m)
ThumbC. lawrenceanaVenezuela, Guyana, N. Brazil250 – 2400 meters
ThumbC. lueddemannianaN. Venezuela0 – 500 meters
ThumbC. wallisiiN. Brazil
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Subgenus Cattleyella

More information Image, Name ...
ImageNameDistributionElevation (m)
ThumbC. araguaiensisBrazil395 – 610 meters
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Subgenus Intermediae

More information Image, Name ...
ImageNameDistributionElevation (m)
ThumbC. aclandiaeBrazil100 – 400 meters
ThumbC. amethystoglossaBrazilaround 600 meters
ThumbC. bicolorSE. Brazil
ThumbC. dormanianaBrazil600 – 100 meters
ThumbC. elongataBrazil900 – 1500 meters
ThumbC. forbesiiBrazilaround 200 meters
ThumbC. granulosaBrazil600 – 900 meters
ThumbC. guttataBrazil.
ThumbC. harrisonianaSE. Brazil
ThumbC. intermediaSE. & S. Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay
ThumbC. kerriiBrazil
ThumbC. loddigesiiSE. Brazil to NE. Argentina.
ThumbC. nobiliorWC. Brazil to Bolivia170 – 700 meters
ThumbC. porphyroglossaBrazil.
ThumbC. schillerianaBrazil0 – 800 meters.
ThumbC. schofieldianaBrazilaround 900 meters
ThumbC. tenuisNE. Brazil1000 – 1200 meters.
ThumbC. tigrinaSE. & S. Brazil0 – 100 meters.
ThumbC. velutinaBrazil
ThumbC. violacealowland Amazon rainforest & Guyana200 – 700 meters
ThumbC. walkerianaWC. & SE. Brazil0 – 2000 meters.
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Subgenus Maximae

More information Image, Name ...
ImageNameDistributionElevation (m)
ThumbC. maximaS Ecuador to N Peru10 – 1500 meters
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Natural hybrids

Currently accepted natural hybrids are:[13]

  • Cattleya × adrienne (= Cattleya pumila × Cattleya jongheana) (Brazil)
  • Cattleya × albanensis
  • Cattleya × amanda
  • Cattleya × binotii (= ) (Brazil)
  • Cattleya × brasiliensis (= C. bicolor × C. harrisoniana) (Brazil)
  • Cattleya × braunae
  • Cattleya × britoi (= C. crispata x C. mirandae) (Brazil - Minas Gerais)
  • Cattleya × brymeriana (= C. violacea × C. wallisii) (N. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × calimaniana (Brazil)
  • Cattleya × calimaniorum (NE Brazil)
  • Cattleya × carassana (Brazil)
  • Cattleya × cattleyioides (Brazil)
  • Cattleya × cipoensis (Brazil)
  • Cattleya × colnagiana (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × cristinae (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × cypheri
  • Cattleya × dasilvae
  • Cattleya × dayana (= C. forbesii × C. guttata) (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × deckeri
  • Cattleya × delicata
  • Cattleya × diamantinensis (= C. pfisteri × C. sincorana) (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × dolosa (= C. loddigesii × C. walkeriana) (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × dukeana (= C. bicolor × C. guttata) (SE. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × duveenii (= C. guttata × C. harrisoniana) (SE. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × elegans
  • Cattleya × ericoi
  • Cattleya × feldmanniana
  • Cattleya × fidelensis (Brazil - Rio de Janeiro).
  • Cattleya × frankeana
  • Cattleya × gaezeriana
  • Cattleya × gerhard-santosii
  • Cattleya × gottoana
  • Cattleya × gransabanensis (= C. jenmanii × C. lawrenceana) (Venezuela).
  • Cattleya × gravesiana (= C. lueddemanniana × C. mossiae) (Venezuela).
  • Cattleya × hardyana (= C. dowiana var.aurea × C. warscewiczii) (Colombia).
  • Cattleya × heitoriana
  • Cattleya × hummeliana
  • Cattleya × hybrida (= C. guttata × C. loddigesii) (SE. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × imperator (= C. granulata × C. labiata) (NE. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × intricata (= C. intermedia × C. leopoldii) (S. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × irrorata
  • Cattleya × isaacii
  • Cattleya × isabella (= C. forbesii × C. intermedia) (SE. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × itabapoanaensis
  • Cattleya × jetibaensis
  • Cattleya × joaquiniana (= C. bicolor × C. walkeriana) (Brazil) .
  • Cattleya × kautskyi (= C. harrisoniana × C. warneri) (SE. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × kerchoveana
  • Cattleya × labendziana
  • Cattleya × lambari
  • Cattleya × lilacina
  • Cattleya × lucieniana (= C. forbesii × C. granulosa) (SE. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × macguiganii
  • Cattleya × measuresii (= C. aclandiae × C. walkeriana) (E. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × mesquitae (= C. nobilior × C. walkeriana) (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × mingaensis
  • Cattleya × mixta (= C. guttata × C. schofieldiana) (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × moduloi (C. schofieldiana × C. warneri) (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × mucugensis
  • Cattleya × neocalimaniana
  • Cattleya × neocalimaniorum
  • Cattleya × neoreginae
  • Cattleya × nesyana
  • Cattleya × occhioniana
  • Cattleya × odiloniana
  • Cattleya × patrocinii (= C. guttata × C. warneriana) (SE. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × picturata (= C. guttata × C. intermedia) (SE. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × pittiana
  • Cattleya × porphyritis
  • Cattleya × porphyrophlebia
  • Cattleya × raganii
  • Cattleya × resplendens (= C. granulosa × C. schilleriana) (NE. Brazil)
  • Cattleya × rigbyana
  • Cattleya × ruschii
  • Cattleya × sancheziana
  • Cattleya × schroederiana
  • Cattleya × schunkiana
  • Cattleya × schunkii
  • Cattleya × scita (= C. intermedia × C. tigrina) (S. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × sgarbii
  • Cattleya × sororia
  • Cattleya × tenuata (= C. elongata × C. tenuis) (Brazil) .
  • Cattleya × varelae
  • Cattleya × venosa (= C. forbesii × C. harrisoniana) (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × verelii
  • Cattleya × victoria-regina ( C. guttata × C. labiata) (NE. Brazil).
  • Cattleya × victoriacarolinae
  • Cattleya × wetmorei
  • Cattleya × whitei
  • Cattleya × wilsoniana (= C. bicolor × C. intermedia). (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × wyattiana (= C. crispa × C. lobata). (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × zaslawskii (= C. harpophylla × C. praestans). (Brazil).
  • Cattleya × zayrae (= C. amethystoglossa × C. elongata). (Bahia, Brazil)

Nothogenera

Hybrids of Cattleya and other genera are placed in the following nothogenera:

Cultivation

Thumb
Cattleya mossiae fo. coerulea
  • Light
Cattleyas need light, but not direct sunlight; in case of intense sunlight, shade must be provided.[14]
  • Temperature
Day temperatures must be between 25-30 °C (77-86 °F) and night temperatures not lower than 10-12 °C (50-53.6 °F).[14]
  • Humidity
Must be between 40-70% with good ventilation; however plants must not be exposed to air currents.[15]
  • Watering
Water only if substrate is dry. It can be done once a week, but it all depends on the environmental conditions and the season.[15]
  • Fertilizing
Cattleyas can survive without fertilizing. However, it is advisable to use nitrogen-based fertilizers without urea; fertilizers must be applied during the growth season.[15] To avoid salt accumulation in the substrate, water thoroughly between fertilizer applications.[15]

References

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