Cattleya species?

[Keith Edwards]

I have this plant I think it may be Cattleya maxima the canes are 400 mm long the flower spike is 700 mm long.the flowers hang down,any help would be good,I had 1 repley someone though it may be a Dendrobium I don't think so.look forward to repleys

[OrchidAddict]

How about the orchid known as "Hono Hono" in Hawaii? It's typically purple, can grow to great lengths and generally hangs down from trees. It's supposedly quite fragrant.

Here's a pic of one in its natural habitat:



The Hono Hono is the common name for Dendrobium anosmum. I agree with the previous commenter who suggested this is a Dendrobium. The photos I've seen of Cattleya maxima show bunches of flowers atop of relatively short pseudobulbs. You've got tall, skinny canes on your plant. Browse around online at the images of the Hono Hono and see if you see a resemblance to your plant.

Here's another pic:

[Michael Saar]

I can't tell what it is, but I do not think it is C. maxima. C. maxima has a unifoliate growth habit, and your plant is bifoliate.

[Ryan Young]

It resembles a schomburgkia superbiens.
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[tucker85]

I agree that it's probably some type of Schomburgkia or possibly a Schomburgkia crossed with a cattleya.

[Roy]

I have a friend w& flower spike out with a similar plant & spike out, his is Schom. (L) superbiens x Gur. (C) bowringiana.

[123orchids]

I think it is definitely a Schomburgkia.

[Dorsetman]

No Jenn ' An
osmum hangs down. not goes up ; has lots of leaves in pairs, no proper bulbs etc etc...Can't really gtell what this is, but Scombo is not unlikely I feel. Surely Laeliniae...

[OrchidAddict]

No Jenn ' An osmum hangs down. not goes up ; has lots of leaves in pairs, no proper bulbs etc etc...Can't really gtell what this is, but Scombo is not unlikely I feel. Surely Laeliniae...

Ahhhh... thanks for the clarification! I thought perhaps the reason it was upright was because it was staked (after all, almost all orchids' "hang down" in nature... it's us humans that stake the blooming spikes upright!) But now that I look at the pics of the Schomburgkias you all are suggesting, I can definitely see a clear resemblance to the plant in question.

I'm not as up on my Schomburgkias as I'd like to be! I adore them, but they just get way too large for my growing conditions, so they're not practical for me to have. And the ones I've seen in person all have "undulating" petals, which this one didn't so I think that's what caused my confusion.

I do, however, have a Schomburgkia albopurpurea that should be lovely when it blooms. I'm pretty sure that one stays small.

Anyway, congrats, Keith on a LOVELY orchid!!

[gardenguysorchids]

Congratulations on the lovely blooms.