Blc. Lucille Lundberg 'Yellow Sky'???? I think NOT

[mauraec]

Calling all Cattleya Alliance experts......


These are shots of a wild and woolly Catt. that I picked up at an 'Orchids and Art' Festival in Bonita Springs, FL a few nights ago. I have since released it from its extremely unstable pot, without repotting or disturbing the roots - I just have it standing on a tray, stabilized, and have released the spikes from the awful staking job done on them. It has 4 spikes, actually. As the photos show, it is a very tall bifoliate Catt. with multiple buds on the tip of the spike - I've counted between 7 and 10 on each one.

It came tagged Blc. Lucille Lundberg 'Yellow Sky' (which is Hausermann's Symphony x Port Royal Sound), but from the brief amount of investigation I've done, there's no way this is Lucille. Lucille appears to be a large, unifoliate Catt. with one or two huge yellow flowers on a spike. I'm suspecting that this may have Guarianthe skinnerii in it, in part because of the shape and growth habit, but also because it's going to bloom in late winter, early spring. Other than that, I've not a clue. Maybe it's aurantiaca instead? I doubt it's a species, but I'm just trying to get a sense of what I have.

Anyway, these shots show the pathetic shape it was in when I brought it home - it had even been tucked under the sales table and pushed towards the back. Some people just really don't love their orchids, I guess.

Anyway, I NEED SOME HELP!!!!

This one shows how tall it is - I have it leaned against one of the chairs on the lanai.




And a couple of closeups -

[Ron-NY]

repost when it blooms. aurantiaca is definitely a possibility or a hybrid of it such as Cattlianthe Auranti-Media, Guaritonia Why Not or Cattlianthe Rojo.

[Dorsetman]

I have never seen very tall aurantiacas. The Broughtonia bit ( in Cattleytonias) has disc shaped bulbs only an inch across, so it seems unlikely that is concerned.
But there are possibilities you may not think of. e.g. C .amethystoglossa usually has 20 inch bulbs, and I have several Laelia sp - harpophylla, cinnabarina etc which match that. But see also below.

I have a copy of Jack Fowlies excellent - incomparable ! book "The Brazilian bifoliate Cattleyas and their color varieties" in which he relates his findings and experiences in seeking out all of these plants, and all of their varieties too, in the wild. Let me quote one bit about C.bicolor var or perhaps ssp. - minasgeraiense .. " at 1500m altitude. These plants frequently have pseudobulbs up to 1.5m high" . That's no typo , he is saying C.bicolor with 5 foot bulbs...

So your taller influence could be bicolor, but really, if I was to quote everything in the book, you would realise the difficulties of making guesses based on that particular characteristic alone.

[mauraec]

I have never seen very tall aurantiacas. The Broughtonia bit ( in Cattleytonias) has disc shaped bulbbs only an inch across, so it seems unliukely that is concerned.
But ther are possibilities hyou may not think of.

I have a copy of Jack Fowlies excellent - incomparable ! book "The Brazilian bifoiliate Cattleyas and their color varieties" in which he relates his findings and experiences in seeking out all of these plants, and all of their varieties too, in the wild. Let me quote one bit about C.bicolor var or perhaps ssp. minasgeraiense .. " at 1500m altitude. These plants frequently have pseudobulbs up to 1.5m high" . That's no typo , he is saying C.bicolor with 5 foot bulbs...

So yopur taller influence could be bicolor, but really, if I was to quote everything in the book, you wouldl realise the difficulties of making guesses based on that particular characteristic alone.

Thank you, Geoff - I am somewhat handicapped by not having my orchid library with me while I'm staying with my parents in FL, but I shall be back in Atlanta in a couple of weeks. I don't have Jack Fowlie's book on Bifoliate Cattleyas, but I am going to remedy that situation today. Perhaps in a few days, I can be as confused as is humanly possible by all the possibilities. Of course, if I had that elusive virtue of patience, I could simply wait for the blooms - but then, that would be very uncharacteristic of me. I shall look up C. bicolor in the meantime.

[catttan]

Very interesting, Maura. looking forward to seeing the flowers.

[Dorsetman]

Thank you, Geoff - I am somewhat handicapped by not having my orchid library with me while I'm staying with my parents in FL, but I shall be back in Atlanta in a couple of weeks. I don't have Jack Fowlie's book on Bifoliate Cattleyas, but I am going to remedy that situation today. Perhaps in a few days, I can be as confused as is humanly possible by all the possibilities. Of course, if I had that elusive virtue of patience, I could simply wait for the blooms - but then, that would be very uncharacteristic of me. I shall look up C. bicolor in the meantime.

Orchid Digest did have a supply a few months ago.

[mauraec]

Orchid Digest did have a supply a few months ago.

I'm on it.

[Ron-NY]

Orchid Digest did have a supply a few months ago.

I didn't know that Orchid Digest sold anything besides back issues.

I also thought that Jack Fowlie's book on Bifoliate Cattleyas was no longer in print. It was published in 1977.

[Anteater]

It doesn't look to be in that bad of shape to me. Can't wait to see it bloom!

[Dorsetman]

I didn't know that Orchid Digest sold anything besides back issues.

I also thought that Jack Fowlie's book on Bifoliate Cattleyas was no longer in print. It was published in 1977.

You are quite right. But orchid digest found a boxful in a cupboard, and I bought. Absolutely the best book on this particular subject. I can 't recommend it highly enough.
So few people have actually seen plants in the wild and published things about the way they were growing. Most books - coffee table and most beginners books apart, are written by taxonomic botanists, who may well spell out the difference between two seces in minute detail, but fail to mention anything about the habitat. But this book is really good.