Cattleya maxima ?

[Dorsetman]

My plant arrived. labelled as No.4 - not very helpful ! Apparently it was the fourth plant on my list. Many of the others were hybrids - and they all came labelled. All the species were just numbered from my list . By the time I got around to writing my own labels, my copy order was mislaid - ordering from their website meant a webmail with no trace on my system . So now that it has flowered ( probably the second time in my collection, but I missed it first time around) I had to do my homework. The plant is monophyllous ( one-leaved) on all growths so far , as compared to many of the Brazilian cattleyas which are usually but not invariably bifoliate , sometimes one thing, and then the other on the next growth ,so that was a help. I have the 7 volume masterwork - Withner's "The Cattleyas and their allies" and after an evening with that I was convinced that this is C. maxima.
But the book I cherish and rely on more is the Chadwicks' The Classic Cattleya. I feel that they know far more than anyone, based on growing so many of them ; and reading what they have to say, I am now convinced it is not maxima - which they say has a continuous yellow stripe on the lip along its length, in all forms. No yellow stripe here.
So ; a cattleya, said to be a species by the breeder/supplier, bulbs up to 9 inches high, one leaf on each bulb, 5 flowers in the spray, 5 inch across ( natural spread)...
Lip a bity crunched up - I have been waiting for a week for it to open further, no sign yet. If it does, eventually ( maxima has long lasting flowers) I'll add another view.
Oh, and the other thing is flowering time. These cattleyas all watch the calendar, and have fixed dates for new growth, new roots, flowers etc. Not enough people grow them here, or if they do don't publish their info, to be sure what the flowering date should be, but in USA, it flowers from Thanksgiving and sometimes lasts until Christmas . I usually find my flowering dates are up to 2 months later than quoted by AOS for example, but here, 4 -5 months later ? seems unlikely.
Any ideas, comments etc - as always, welcomed.

[zainal abidin]

Nice big flowers by looks at the labellum and the character of the flowers yours very close to Cattleya mosiae beautiful clone Geoff.

[Karen5]

Thanks for the information!