Nedd help with NOID unifoliate cat

[Mehera]

That is just fascinating Diane--these plants are full of surprises! I like your picture with the side by side of the two conditions. And Julie, your explanation was very helpful to me; I had been wondering about some of those things.

It does seem that my hybrids bloom directly out of their leaves without sheaths. Or maybe I'm just not very observant!

[Molly Taco]

Thanks Diane and Julie, Great info as usual and and easy to understand. The pics are good too.
Cin

[Piper]

What I always find tricky is managing expectations when you see a sheath. Mine usually bloom from sheaths, but if conditions aren't to their liking, they can put up a sheath and then do nothing else.

When my Laelia purpurata put up its first sheath ever this Feb (I got it as a NBS plant 2 1/2 years ago) I got all excited. And then nothing. So I figured it just wasn't a big enough plant to support a bloom this year. Then last month I saw buds coming out and I flipped!

The lesson is that some Catts put up sheaths on new growth, and then take a coffee break before developing the buds. So it's all about learning what each guy's habits are.

And, as Diane said, plants can just plain 'ole do what they want. I have a unifoliate that put out two leaves on a pseudobulb one year. It never bothered to explain itself. I think that's the 'cat' part of Catt.

They're a wonderful alliance though! Not as long lived as many, but their splendor more than makes up for their shorter blooms. Just means you need a lot of them, so that one is always going! Get shopping, Tim-O!

Julie

[Palito]

Hi

Are "trifoliate" cattelyas found in nature as well or just an accident of the hybridization? I have one with 3 leaves per pseudobulb.

[Piper]

Whoa...that's weird. I think...

Hi, Palito! Welcome!

Do you microwave your Cattleya?

Julie

[Diane]

Hi Palito-

I have a couple of multi-leaved cattleya alliance plants. They are all hybrids with I believe Epidendrum in their background - Epicattleya or maybe Epi-laelia-cattleya ..... I'll go check the tags.

[orchid-man]

I have just checked the RHS orchid register and I can only find Cat.Summer Wind.

[Diane]

Hi Palito-

I have a couple of multi-leaved cattleya alliance plants. They are all hybrids with I believe Epidendrum in their background - Epicattleya or maybe Epi-laelia-cattleya ..... I'll go check the tags.

Okay - I have one that is tri-folate on a couple of p-bulbs, and it is Eplc. Merry Green 'Taida". Could be a genetic issue on this particular specimen, but I was sure I had another with similar leaves...

[Palito]

very intersting Diane.

my trifoliate is a diaca. Chantilly Lace 'Hildos'. all bulbs are trifoliate and it's blooming now

[clintdawley]

Most hybrids are so genetically confused they do this. I've had the same plant bloom from a unifoliate p-bulb, a bifolate p-bulb, with and without a sheath, on a brown sheath, on a green sheath, you name it.