Cattleya: Help with identifying and appraising!

[FSR2003]

I was hoping someone could help me identify my Cattleya Orchid and what one of these plants might be worth. I don't have any plans to sell them, but would be interesting to know what it's value might be. I've never seen this exact plant/flower in stores though over the years we have given away a few clumps of bulbs to friends and neighbors. Not to mention a few clumps have been stolen from our yard over the years. I don't know a lot about Orchids but I am pretty sure this is a Cattleya orchid. My mother brought one single bulb from Cuba about 40 or more years ago, it took more than 5 years for it to finally bloom and really start to grow. The flowers are approximately 6" or 7" diameter. It's growing off an old tree stump, well it was a live tree until recently but it was pruned back one too many times and is now a tree stump. Originally it use to bloom only in the winter months in south Florida, December/January. Now that it is so large, we see blooms as early as November and as late as March, sometimes in the Spring, summer and fall but not often. However, primarily and always blooms in the cooler winter months. With this large plant we probably get 20 to 30 flowers blooming per year. It blooms 1 or 2 flowers from each pseudo bulb. It has never bloomed more than 2 flowers from one bulb. They do not grow in sequence on the stem. If it blooms 2 flowers from one bulb, it branches off like a fork into two stems, one flower each. The flowers are very hardy, leathery texture, can easily last a month sometimes longer if left on the plant. It doesn't seem to completely fit into any of the descriptions of the suggestions made so far, something critical has diverged from the suggestions so far, usually the number of blooms from each pseudo-bulb. Blooms have a pleasant fragrance.

[SouthPark]

It looks like or linked to C. percivaliana or C. mossiae.

But a No-Ident usually remains as a no-ID though.

Some close-up pics (high quality) of the flowers could help with seeing what it could 'possibly' be (with uncertainty).

Excellent display! Beautiful.

One thing is for sure ------ it is certainly a Cattleya type orchid.

Also - the worth of an orchid is in the eye of the beholder or grower or watcher or owner etc.

But if you really have to estimate some cost/price, then you could estimate the total number of bulbs, then divide that number by 'four' - to get roughly the number of divisions from that big colony cluster. And if you then put a price for each division (eg. 100 US dollar per division with 4 bulbs) ...... then you can get some idea of a price.

There is also the consideration of 'priceless' too.

[FSR2003]

Both varieties you suggested look VERY similar to my particular variety. Thanks for the input! They are close but not quite what the internet description has for those two varieties. It definitely is not from Venezuela or Columbia. I am fairly certain it originates from Cuba. My mother brought it from Cuba more than 40 years ago, my grandmother had already been cultivating them in her backyard in Cuba probably more than 60 or 70 years before then, and she got it from her parent's backyard in Cuba where it was cultivated for decades prior to that. Also, it has never flowered more than 1 or 2 flowers at the same time from one bulb, usually we get either 1 single flower about 50% of the time or twin flowers 50% of the time, we have never had more than 2 flowers simultaneously from the same bulb. This variety is also long lasting flowers. A flower left on the plant will last weeks, sometimes more than a month depending on the weather. Aesthetically it most certainly looks a lot like either of your suggestions, but when I read up on the specifics, neither fits based on the number of flowers from each bulb that those get and other specifics. But wow, really similar flowers. Thank you! I will try to find any closeup pictures if I have any to post. I will look. Unfortunately, around winter time is usually when it blooms. The flower is very strong & sturdy, almost feels leathery, not delicate like other orchids.

[Keysguy]

Holy cow, that thing is massive! Nice job.

[FSR2003]

I found a few close-ups of the flowers. Don't know if that helps at all. I'm not a great photographer.

---------- Post added at 07:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:53 PM ----------

Thanks! But that Orchid plant has been tended to for over 40+ years in the backyard. It's a slow grower.

[estación seca]

Magnificent! Wonderful! I agree with South Park. Your plant sure looks like C. percivaliana, and flowers at the correct time. That very long flower tube is quite characteristic of percivaliana.
IOSPE PHOTOS

Have you noticed a scent? Cattleya percivaliana has a distinct scent, different from most other Cattleyas. Some people don't like it.

Even 200 years ago people were moving plants around. There are no Cattleyas native to Cuba.

[bejay]

Could also possibly be Cattleya trianae. typically a winter bloomer. Also called Christmas orchid
(together with Cattleya percivaliana and Angraecum sesquipedale).

[FSR2003]

Yes, it is fragrant. I can't describe the scent as I don't have one at the moment in bloom to smell. But it is a pleasant smell. I don't know if any Cattleya are native to Cuba so you might be right that it could have been imported a couple hundred years ago. I am far, far from any kind of Orchid expertise. I can only compare my plant to the information I read online. But here is where this variety diverges from C. percivaliana according to the information from the American Orchid Society web site. C. percivaliana produces 2 to 6 flowers. Mine only produces 1-2 flowers. Not once in 40 year with the hundreds of blooms over the years have we seen more than 1-2 flowers from one bulb. Also, on my variety the flowers are very long lasting, if left on the plant, with mild, cool weather and adequate watering the flowers last weeks, sometimes more than a month. I do have to admit the physical appearance seems very, very close to C. percivaliana but the number of flowers produced does not coincide with what I get, 1-2 flowers max per bulb out of hundreds of blooms we have seen over the years. Here is what I see from a video on youtube for c. percivaliana, 1 stem with 1 to 6 flowers on that stem. I have never seen that many. I only get 1 or 2 flowers from a stem, if 2 then it splits off like a fork from the sheath. It does not branch off one flower and then the other further up the stem like other orchids usually do.

[dinvy]

I dont think there's a cattleya native to cuba. But I've seen pics or lueddemanniana growing in cuba and that def looks like lueddemanniana. I'd say like $30 for a 4 pseudobulb division? Just my two cents

[DirtyCoconuts]

Given that there aren’t any native catts it either is not a catt or it is from somewhere else.

Given how adaptive orchids are, it is entirely possible the plant you have thrives in our climate but would really do best in a slightly different climate, maybe less humid, or with a real change in season, or even a brief bit of cold

My only point is that just bc you have never seen more than 2 flowers per spike does not mean the plant is not capable of doing so under optimal conditions

She is quite the specimen regardless of name or anything else!!