Rhyncholaeliocattleya Memoria Crispin Rosales 'Volcano Queen'

 If you want a large purple Cattleya flower you cannot go wrong with the hybrid Rlc.  Memoria Crispin Rosales.  There are a number of clones of this hybrid available to the public.  I used to have the clone 'Hawaii'.  My plant usually produced two flowers but sometimes it would produce a single humongous flower on the inflorescence.  In my experience very susceptible to white fly and mealy bugs.  I had to be watchful because sometimes white fly would proliferate unnoticed under the dried sheaths of the youngest bulbs.

Myrmecocattleya Marissa's Aurora, (Cattleya Martin Wolfe × Myrmecophila tibicinis)

This cross between Myrmecophila tibicinis and Cattleya Martin Wolfe is 50% tibicinis, 25% Catt. schilleriana and the other 25% is from 9 other species of Cattleya.  Its most notable trait is the rich color of the flowers.

 

Rhyncholaeliocattleya Nakornchaisiri Delight

 Rhyncholaeliocattleya Nakornchaisiri Delight photographed at the Mayaguez Orchid society show in the Mayaguez Mall. 

Cattleya Jairak Cosmos

 

Cattleya Monte Elegante 'Hsin Pu'

 I photographed this orchid at this month meeting of the PR orchid judging center.  The plant was tall, had immaculate pseudobulbs and the inflorescence was held high over the foliage.  The head of flowers was quite eye catching, it was slightly fragrant.  The flowers were in perfect condition. 

Rlc. Regal Red 'Paradise' x Laelia undulata 'Waldor'

 A cross of a Rhyncholaeliocattleya with a Laelia of the group formerly classified as Schomburkia.   The hybrid has a lovely color that this photo doesn't really capture well.  The flower doesn't resemble much either parent.  Rlc. Regal Red is a round red flower, and Laelia undulata produces a head of small wavy flowers on a long inflorescence.

Myrmecocattleya Rio's Little Treasure (Myrmecophila albopurpurea x Cattleya violacea)

 This cross of Myrmecophyla albopurpurea and Cattleya violacea is beautiful and apparently easier to grow than either species.  The flowers are larger than the Myrmecophila parent but smaller than the Cattleya.   Cattleya violacea is notoriously tricky to cultivate and many times it can grow well and bloom for a time only to start to go downhill and die.  My experience with Myr. albopurpurea is that it has failed to thrive and eventually died.   This plant doesn't seem to be as delicate as the parents.  

Cattleya jenmanii rubra

Cattleya nobilior Rchb.f 1883, grown near the town of Lares, Puerto Rico

The interior of the island of Puerto Rico is mountainous and because of this the temperatures are cooler than in the coast and environmental humidity is higher.  This produces favorable climatic conditions for the successful culture of many types of orchids.  This plant was grown near the town of Lares.

Cattleya schilleriana x Laelia undulata

The flowers of this hybrid look similar like Laelia undulata but are much larger than the flowers of that species.  In this case, instead of the flower bunch produced by L. undulata, the plant has produced two large flowers like Catt. schilleriana.

Cattleya dowiana Bateman & Rchb.f 1886. this is var. Rosita

Cattleya x guatemalensis Moore 1861, now Guarianthe x guatemalensis

Epicatarthron Hilo Adventure (Cattleya Motte Spot x Epiarthron Kebing Mark Ragbir)

I saw this plant growing in a garden in the mountains of the west side of the Island of Puerto Rico, close to the town of Lares.  Local conditions appear to be very favorable to its growth.  It rains often, sometimes daily for weeks or even months.  Temperatures are lower that in the coast of the island.  The plant combines the genus Cattleya, Epidendrum and Caularthron.

Laeliocattleya White Spark 'Panda' a Cattleya hybrid that deviates from the norm.

An unusually shaped Cattleya tribe hybrid.  In Cattleya a flat presentation of petals and sepals is considered the most desirable configuration.  This plant is certainly not like that.  However the bright color and the curled frilly petals are very eye catching.  I like it.

Cattleya intermedia Graham 1828, a plant in my garden.

Brassocattleya Maikai,(Brassavola nodosa x Cattleya bowringiana) easy to grow in Puerto Rico

This common hybrid is easy to grow outside in coastal Puerto Rico.  If given regular fertilization and plenty of sun it will bloom abundantly.  I found that as my plant grew larger it would tolerate more and more sun exposure.  I think this is due to many, very closely spaced pseudobulbs which appear to protect one another from any excessive sun exposure.  This plant can grow into a specimen plant if given proper care and grooming.  My plant became heavy!

Rhyncholaelia digbyana x Cattleya Atalanta

An exceedingly old cross, this plant only bloomed for me when exposed to full sunlight for a few hours each morning.  Unfortunately I lost it to black rot during a prolonged spell of very wet and cool weather.

Blc. Haw Yuan Rose 'NN'

This plant was brought to the April 10 meeting of the AOS judges in Ponce, Puerto Rico.  The color and shape were magnificent.

Blc. Deseo Sencillo (Blc. Orange Nuggett x Lc. Excellency)

This plant was brought to the April 10 meeting of the AOS judges in Ponce, Puerto Rico.  This is a R. Sobrino cross.

Laelianthe (Schombocattleya) Cruzan Gold

This plant was brought to the April 10 meeting of the AOS judges in Ponce, Puerto Rico.  The plant is large and the flowers delightful.  This is a cross of Guariante aurantiaca and Laelia superbiens)