Cattleya aurea Linden 1883 SUBGENUS Cattleya SECTION Xantheae Withner 1988
Another flower Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl © .
Another Flower Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt
Another Clone Photo courtesy of David Hunt
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Common Name Golden Yellow Cattleya
Flower Size 7" [17.5 cm]
A Colombian species from the states of Risaralda, Antioquia and Choco' at elevations of 300 to 1000 meters on rough barked trees that blooms in the month of May in Colombia [about 2 months after C dowiana in Costa Rica] on a terminal, several [5 to 6] flowered, short inflorescence with fragrant short lived flowers. This species is highly endangered in the wild and as such should never be bought unless it is guaranteed to be seedgrown. It is sometimes said to be synomonous with Cattleya dowiana Bateman 1886 but they differ by C aurea having larger flowers, wider petals and sepals and has a much truer yellow color, not coppery as in C dowiana. The C aurea also has a better presentation as well as a different scent.
Synonyms Cattleya chrysotaxa (Sander) God.-Leb. 1890; Cattleya chrysotoxa Hort. 1891; Cattleya dowiana var Aurea Will & Moore 1883; Cattleya dowiana var. chrysotaxa Sander 1890; ; Cattleya dowiana var chrysotoxa Hort. 1890; Cattleya labiata dowiana aurea Veitch 1887
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 C labiata subvar aurea; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 2 1978 as C dowiana var aureum photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 6 1978 photo fide as C dowiana var aureum; AOS Bulletin Vol 49 No 7 1980 photo as C dowiana var aureum; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 No 2 1985 photo as C dowiana var aureum; Orchid Digest Vol 56 No 4 1992 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 67 No 7 1998 photo; The Colombian Cattleya and Their Color Variations Toulemonde 2004; The Catttleya and Their Relatives Withner Vol 1 1988 photo fide; Growing Orchids Rentoul Vol 1982 as C dowiana var aurea; Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb and Laurent 1982 as C dowiana var aurea; An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1982 as C dowiana var aurea; AOS Bulletin Vol 71 No 4 2002 as C dowiana var aurea; AOS Bulletin Vol 72 No 1 2003 photo as C dowiana var aurea; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 3 2006 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 9 2006 photo;
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