Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae, a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Earth except glaciers. The world's richest diversity of orchid genera and species is found in the tropics.
Cattleya is a genus of orchids from Costa Rica south to Argentina. The genus is abbreviated C in trade journals.
Laelia is a small genus of 25 species in the orchid family (Orchidaceae). Laelia species are found in areas of subtropical or temperate climate in Central and South America, but mostly in Mexico. Laelia is abbreviated L. in the horticultural trade.
Cattleya purpurata, known in the past as Laelia purpurata and Sophronitis purpurata, is native to Brazil where it is very popular among orchid growers. It is an epiphyte that is found in the canopy of tall trees near coastal areas, in the Brazilian states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and São Paulo. The orchid favors bright light and cool to warm conditions and is relative easy to cultive. C. purpurata has been used extensively as a parent in hybridizing with Cattleyas. Cattleya purpurata blooms from late spring to fall with three to five flowers on a spike. The flowers are long-lasting and fragrant.
Phalaenopsis is a plant of the orchid genus Phalaenopsis and an endemic species to Philippines. It is commonly cultivated as a decorative houseplant. It is an epiphytic herb with long, thick roots, and mottled, fleshy leaves, and large, pink flowers. Mature plants can produce more than 100 flowers.
Cattleya aclandiae, or Lady Ackland's cattleya, is a species of orchid from the genus Cattleya, named in honor of Lady Lydia Elizabeth Ackland, wife of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 10th Baronet who was the first European to grow the plant successfully. The illustration of the plant which accompanied its first description was based on a drawing by Lady Ackland. The genus was named in honour of William Cattley, a prominent British merchant and horticulturist.
Cattleya amethystoglossa is a bifoliate species of orchid from the genus Cattleya.
The term grex, derived from the Latin noun grex, gregis, meaning 'flock', has been expanded in botanical nomenclature to describe hybrids of orchids, based solely on their parentage. Grex names are one of the three categories of plant names governed by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants; within a grex the cultivar group category can be used to refer to plants by their shared characteristics, and individual orchid plants can be selected and named as cultivars.
Cattleya granulosa is a bifoliate Cattleya species of orchid. It is endemic to Brazil; the type specimen was reported to come from Guatemala, but this is likely erroneous. The diploid chromosome number of C. granulosa has been determined as 2n = 40.
Cattleya luteola is a species of orchid, native to the lowland Amazon rainforest. It is present in Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia.
Cattleya mossiae, commonly known as the Easter orchid, is a species of labiate Cattleya orchid. The white-flowered form is sometimes known as Cattleya wagneri. The diploid chromosome number of C. mossiae has been determined as 2n = 40. The haploid chromosome number has been determined as n = 20.
Cattleya tenuis is a species of orchid. It shares the rarely used common name of Easter orchid with C. mossiae and C. schroederae.
Cattleya tigrina is a bifoliate species of Cattleya orchid. The diploid chromosome number of C. tigrina has been determined as 2n = 40.
Cattleya walkeriana, or Walker's cattleya, is a species of orchid. It differs from most species of Cattleya by having inflorescences which arise from the rhizome instead of from the apex of the pseudobulb. In its native habitat it grows as either an epiphyte or a lithophyte, sometimes in full sun, at elevations up to 2000 meters. Pseudobulbs are relatively short, bulbous or fusiform, with one or two ovate leaves at the apex. Inflorescence is one- or few-flowered, about 8" (20 cm) tall. Flowers are 4-5" (9-12 cm) across.
Cattleya crispa is a species of orchid indigenous to the Tijuca Mountains north of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, noted for its crisped and ruffled petals and lip. It is the type species for both the subgenus Cattleya subg. Crispae and its section Cattleya sect. Crispae.
Cattleya cernua, commonly known as the nodding sophronitis, is a species of orchid occurring from Brazil to northeastern Argentina. It was the type species of the genus Sophronitis until the genus was made synonymous with Cattleya. Twenty plants of C. cernua have received a total of 22 AOS awards. The described flowers range from 1.9 cm to 3.2 cm horizontal spread and from 2.0 cm to 3.0 cm vertical spread.
Cattleya bicalhoi, commonly known as Laelia dayana, is a species of orchid endemic to Brazil, from southern Minas Gerais to Rio de Janeiro.
Cattleya jongheana, commonly known as the Jonghe's cattleya, is a species of orchid endemic to Brazil.
Cattleya elongata, the "cattleya with the elongated stalk", is an orchid species in the genus Cattleya endemic to the campo rupestre vegetation in northeastern Brazil.
Cattleya × elegans is a hybrid orchid in the subtribe Laeliinae. It is a pseudobulb epiphyte. Its formula hybridae is Cattleya purpurata Van den Berg (2008) × Cattleya tigrina A.Rich. (1848). It is found in South and South-East Brazil.
