Cattleya mossiae Hkr. 1838 Photo courtesy of Jean Claude George
Another Color Form Photos courtesy of Patricia Harding
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Common Name Mrs. Moss' Cattleya [English Orchid Enthusiast 1800's]; in Venezuela - Cattleya de Pascua or Easter Cattleya
Flower Size 8" [20 cm]
An endemic Venezuelan, small to medium sized, unifoliate, warm to cool growing epiphyte occuring at elevations of 900 to 1500 meters in dense forests high in the canopy, that is their national flower, with fusiform, ridged, green pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, oblong to narrowly ovate-oblong leaf that is rounded apically and blooms on a terminal, 12" [30 cm, few to several [2 to 7] flowered inflorescence arising on amature pseudobulb and carries very fragrant, color variable flowers occuring in the spring.
Synonyms Cattleya aliciae L. Linden 1895; Cattleya carrieri Houller. 1883; Cattleya edithiana Warner ex Williams 1868; Cattleya labiata var atropurpurea Paxton 1844; Cattleya labiata var candida Lindley & Paxton 1850; Cattleya labiata var mossiae [Hkr.]Lindley 1840; Cattleya labiata var picta Lindley & Paxton 1850; Cattleya labiata var picta [Lindley & Paxton]Rchb.f 1874; Cattleya labiata var reineckiana [Rchb.f]A.D.Hawkes; Cattleya mossiae Hkr. var. reineckiana Hook.; Cattleya mossiae var. wageneri Braem 1986; Cattleya reineckiana Hort. 1883; Cattleya reineckiana Rchb.f 1856; Cattleya wageneri Rchb.f 1854; Cattleya wagneri Hort.; Epidendrum labiatum var. mossiae [Hkr.] Rchb.f 1861
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 6 Dunsterville & Garay 1976; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 3 1970 as C labiata var mossiae; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glen 2002; The Catttleya and their Relatives Withner Vol 1 1988; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1987 as C labiata var mossiae; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel; Cribb & Laurent 1982; Orchids of Venezuela An Illustrated Field Guide Dunsterville & Garay 1979; Orchids of Malaya Holttum 1957; Growing Orchids Vol 2 Rentoul 1982; An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1982;
Cattleya mossiae Hkr. var alba 1838
Cattleya mossiae Hkr. var coerula 1838
Cattleya mossiae Hkr. var. reineckiana Hooker 1838
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Flower Size 8" [20 cm]
Found in Venezuela as a cool to hot growing epiphyte where it blooms in the spring on a short, few to several [2 to 7] flowered inflorescence with fragrant flowers
Cattleya mossiae Hkr. Var semi-alba
Cattleya mossiae Hkr. var wageneri 1838
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Flower Size 8" [20 cm]
Found in Venezuela as a cool to hot growing epiphyte where it blooms in the spring on a short, few to several [2 to 7] flowered inflorescence with fragrant flowers
