Orchid identification

[LizM]

Hi,
I'm Liz and new to the forum so I hope I'm posting in the right place. I have used this forum and the comments from other members in the past for various reasons and have found the info I needed. But now I have question that I can't seem to find the answer to thru a simple Google search. I purchased several orchids from a greenhouse in Hawaii. They all came in great condition with ID tags. But I have one that I think may be miss identified. Being a novice I could be wrong. This orchid has a tag that says
clty ethel 's paradise 'hawaii'. The problem I have with it is the flower Spike does not come from a sheath but rather from a cane and does not look like any of my other Cattleyas. Is this a Cattleya or possibly a dendrobium? I have posted a pick of both the plant and it's flowers. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Liz
Sorry about the side ways pic. I didn't take it like that but it posted like that and I'm not sure how to fix it.

[Roberta]

First, welcome to the forum!

It is definitely a Catt. The way that the spike comes from the growth is determined by the parentage... some groups of Cattleya-tribe species do that. There probably was a sheath, but small. It's 1/4 C. gutttata, and that species definitely has that growth pattern. The genus abbreviation is Clty, which is Caulocattleya (a man-made genus that includes Cattleya and related genus Caularthron ... which used to be Diacrium)

[Dollythehun]

Roberta, you are a marvel. I would have pegged the plant for a den Phal with amazing flowers. I can see the confusion. By the way Liz, welcome aboard the Board.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Roberta, you are a marvel. I would have pegged the plant for a den Phal with amazing flowers. I can see the confusion. By the way Liz, welcome aboard the Board.

Awww... not a marvel... Orchidwiz is the secret. I'd be "naked" without it! That, and a couple of C. guttatas that finished about a month ago, for reference.

[LizM]

Hi
Thank you for the warm welcome Roberta and Dollythehun. Also thank you so much Roberta for clarification. I knew I came to the right place. This one just seemed odd looking to me. So would I cut that stem off or leave it alone to produce more flowers? It seems like it would be something I would leave alone.
Thanks again
Liz

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by LizM

Hi
So would I cut that stem off or leave it alone to produce more flowers? It seems like it would be something I would leave alone.
Thanks again
Liz

Once the flowers are done, you can cut the spike - it won't bloom again. Personally, I don't rush to cut old flower spikes until they turn brown because the plant will re-absorb the nutrients. It's one of the ways in which orchids are super-efficient, they recycle. (In nature, these orchids grow on the trunks and branches of trees, where there are few nutrients, just what may wash down from the forest canopy, so they utilize everything they can)

Another suggestion... while newly-acquired plants inevitably need repotting, some Catts can be fussy if repotted when not in active growth. So look for new roots (not new growth, they often go together but not always)When you see those little green root tips just starting, then repot but not before.

[orion141]

Welcome, agree it is definitely a cattleya, but I defer to the othersknowledge as to what exactly it is! Happy growing.

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

The stripes and spots on the petals come from the Caularthron heritage. (Used to be called Diacrum, so hybrids were called Diacattleya or Dialaelia.) Some of the Caularthrons routinely carry more than 2 leaves, and have elongated pseudobulbs. Your plant might bloom like this every time, or its flower spikes might look more like a Cattleya next time. Or it might have extremely long spikes with flowers on the end.

[LizM]

Hi,
Thank you all. I'm glad to be a part of such an awesome group of knowledgeable people eager to help a newbie. This is all great information to put in my ever growing database about my orchids so thank you to all who contributed to this thread and all the threads I found my answers in before joining. Thanks for the repotting info, I was wondering about that. I'm also excited to see what kind of spike I get next blooming season. I'm glad you mentioned that so I know what to look for. I guess I should introduced myself because I've been reading about all of the help you've all been giving but you're just hearing from me for the first time. This board has helped me from pests to disease to all the amazing stuff too. I have learned so much about my phals since I bought my 1st one in March, when the orchid bug bit me, after going to the Philadelphia flower show. I seem to have phals down with over 25 of them successfully spiking while in my care. (All were bought while in bloom) Spiking wasn't my goal, just keeping them alive was. I had a bit of a black thumb in the past with other plants so I didn't really know what to expect and it wasn't all fun in the beginning with root rot being my main problem. But I researched and learned. This board has been a great resource for me. So imagine my excitement when I saw that 1st spike, then another, and another. I knew what they were as soon as it saw one poke thru. My family thought I was weird getting so excited over a spike but it was a big accomplishment for me. I also love to learn so I have moved on to catts and dens for a new challenge. Orchids are beautiful complex plants. It's fascinating to learn about them and then you are rewarded with their beautiful flowers for all the hard work you put in to caring for them. Not to mention the production and logic of a keiki blows my mind. I now have over 70 orchids in my townhouse living room turned green house. I think I have to be crazy and have way to much free time because its very time consuming to take care of this many orchids. But I love I must say it's relaxing to me and I love it. I hope to one day to be able to contribute to someone's question with the knowledge I have gained like all of you do here.
Thank you. You are much appreciated.
Liz

[estación seca]

Welcome again! What a great story!

Your family will be very impressed when they see all the flowers.