How to Identify Cattleya Orchids
Cattleya orchids, or corsage orchids, are most frequently seen as showy lapel Mother's Day corsages. Their blossoms are generally large and colorful with one of the petals, called a lip, being trumpet-like with or without ruffles. Cattleya leaves are few but leathery and oval, attached to a swollen, water-storing stem called a pseudobulb. Cattleya does not grow in soil, but upon the branches of trees and shrubs, being an epiphyte. Wild cattleyas are fragrant. Many hybrids have been made from cattleya orchid, so exact identification of flowers has become ambiguous. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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General Identification
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1
Look for an open flower on the plant. An orchid blossom is unique and is the fastest and easiest way to determine if a plant is even an orchid. The orchid flower can also give clues to its specific identification among the hundreds of orchid species known currently to man.
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2
Describe the flower. Cattleya blossoms are star-like and symmetrical and not smaller than an American 50-cent piece. They also feel waxy in texture.
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3
Count the number of petals, or petal-like colorful leaves comprising the flower. Cattleya orchids have six-part flowers. Technically there are three petals. One petal is modified into a lip that looks different from others on the blossoms, often with ruffles or unique color markings. The three petals are accompanied by three sepals that look just like the non-lip petals, perhaps thinner or more pointed.
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4
Count the number of flowers or buds on the flower stem. Cattleya orchids have short stems with one to three flowers, not long stems with scores of small blossoms.
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Smell the blossom. Cattleya orchids collected centuries ago from the wild often exuded beautiful fragrance. The hybrids created with cattleya orchids often retain some fragrance, but not always.
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Examine the plant shape and form. The cattleya has elongated oval leaves that are stiff and leathery, one or two arising from a swollen water-storing stem called a pseudobulb.
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Verify the orchid is not growing in garden soil. Cattleya orchids are epiphytic, meaning naturally they grow upon another plant like a tree trunk, clasping their roots for support. Container-grown cattleya orchids are grown in coarse bark or charcoal, not potting soil.
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Tips & Warnings
Seek experienced help for precise identification of cattleya orchids. Orchid growers and breeders often share questions in online forums and post photos. Browse photo-rich books and magazines with orchids to better familiarize yourself with the general plant form and flower shapes and colors most often associated with various orchid species and hybrids. Pace yourself, there are general guidelines and many exceptions.
Cattleya orchids have been extensively bred and hybridized with other orchid species, creating colorful and magnificent flowers. This makes exact identification of an orchid by site alone extremely difficult unless you are a seasoned orchid hobbyist or plant breeder. Do not become discouraged.
