Sophronitis wittigiana vs. brevipedunculata

[Bayard]

Purchased some years ago as Sophronitis (now Cattleya) wittigiana. I was expecting pink flowers! I've since learned that there is a range of color in S. wittigiana that can include Orange. Every time this blooms I wonder if it is really S. brevipedunculata, but are the flower stalks (peduncles) short enough?

[elermore]

[quote=Bayard;266502]Purchased some years ago as Sophronitis (now Cattleya) wittigiana. I was expecting pink flowers! I've since learned that there is a range of color in S. wittigiana that can include Orange. Every time this blooms I wonder if it is really S. brevipedunculata, but are the flower stalks (peduncles) short enough?

[/QUO
I think you will find this plant is brevinpendunculata regards elermore

[ericst11]

Those look great how big are the flower on that plant.

[Bayard]

ericst11 - The largest flower is around 7cm/3inches across. See my post on Blc. George King, etc. to get an idea of the size compared to standard Cattleyas.

[Rosim_in_BR]

It is not easy separating these two based on a photo, Bayard, so I'm not really sure about your plant. The flower seems to be S. brevipedunculata, but the plant seems not. S. brevipedunculata has short plants, globose, tightly aggregate p-bulbs and very thick leaves (here's a good example of the average plant in nature http://www.orchidspecies.com/orphotd...edunculata.jpg). The species name refers to the short peduncle, the portion of the flower stalk between the p-bulb and the ovary (the long ovary is sometimes misinterpreted as being the peduncle).
Hope that helps.

[Leisurely]

Is it possible that your plant is Cattleya Arizona, a hybrid that is a cross of brevipedunculata x coccinea?

Additionally, could you please tell me the type of medium you use and how you grow your plant.

[Paul]

Can't help you on the name but great all the same!

[Pete Potter]

Looking at the leaves your plant can´t be wittigiana nor brevipedunculata. Both their leaves are rather like coin-shaped. It could be mantiqueirae though, I have it budding for the first time and the leaves seem exactly the same. Mantiqueirae is smaller than coccinea.

[Bayard]

Jerry - This plant has been easy to grow for me. It thrived in a 2.5 inch plastic pot with bark mix for years.

This past Summer I moved it to a 6 inch clay bulb pan with a relatively coarse bark mix. I topped off the mix with fine bark in order to retain moisture at the roots.

It grows with my other Cattleyas in the greenhouse. It is watered frequently with pH adjusted RO water plus fertilizer at 25 to 50 PPM nitrogen.

[Leisurely]

Thanks for the info. Bayard. It will be very useful for growing my plants.