Cattleya (genus)

Japanese name: カトレヤ
Scientific name: Cattleya

[Overview]
An epiphytic or lithophytic evergreen perennial, with 45 species known in the wild, distributed from Central to South America.
It is broadly divided into species with one leaf on the pseudobulb and species with two leaves, and the former are said to tend to have larger flowers.
The flowers are terminal, with 1 to several per stem, and the base of the flower stalk is wrapped in leaf sheaths.
The lip is entire or 3-lobed, and its base curves inward to enclose the column, so the whole lip becomes funnel-shaped.
There are 4 pollinia, whereas the very similar genus Laelia has 8.
There are a great many hybrids, and it is an important group within the orchid family used as cut flowers and potted plants.

[Cultivation]
It is generally grown in unglazed clay pots, planted in sphagnum moss or bark.
A minimum winter temperature of 15 degrees is desirable.
Poor ventilation makes scale insects more likely, so care is needed.

[Notes]
The abbreviation of the genus name is "C."
In the orchid family, where intergeneric hybrids are numerous, abbreviations of the main genus names are sometimes set to simplify hybrid formulas and prevent confusion.

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