1- CATTLEYA nobilior
and C. walkeriana
After dealing with Cattleya loddigesii
and C. harrisoniana, it is time to discuss another of the critical pairs of
species in the genus. As we know, there are still a few of these pairs to mention (Cattleya nobilior
x C. walkeriana, C.
guttata x C. leopoldii, C. granulosa x C. schoffieldiana
and C. labiata x C. warneri),
and this time we'll talk about C.
nobilior and C. walkeriana.
Contrary to what happens with Cattleya loddigesii and C. harrisoniana, which have totally separate distributions, here the ranges
touch and in some cases (according to local growers) overlap. The result is that plants of the fairly recently
described natural hybrid (Cattleya xMesquitae) have been found in surprisingly high numbers in these areas
of proximity.
As with Cattleya loddigesii
and C. harrisoniana, the differences will be stressed in a table at the end
of the page. The map also help us understand the distribution pattern of the species.
Cattleya walkeriana grows more to the interior of Brazil, in the states of Minas
Gerais, São Paulo, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. These areas range in altitude from about 1,000 ft.
(300 meters) to about 2,500 ft. (800 meters), rarely out of this range. As rains are blocked by the coastal mountain
ranges, the habitat areas have a very well marked dry season that last for a few months during Fall and Winter.
Plants of the species grow on tall trees in the semi-deciduous forests over large rocky outcroppings or on open
gallery forest, frequently also on isolated trees on grasslands. Plants are well-adapted and can produce very large
clumps. Cattleya walkeriana plants are Fall bloomers, so they rest before producing
the new growths in the Spring. The plants are modified from the typical unifoliate or bifoliate Cattleya species in that they grow in a special way. Instead of producing a new growth and then
flowering from the top of it, plants produce a growth with short and rounded pseudobulb topped by a fleshy leaf
(two leaves by anomaly) during the growth season, and then a specially modified growth producing the 2-4 flowers
during the flowering season. There is some variation, and a few populations actually flower from a growth that
produces a pseudobulb and sometimes even a leaf, but this is not the norm for the species. In any case, they do
not produce a flower sheath like most Cattleya species. Flowers are usually around 4" (10 cm.) across,
and inflorescences are very short so flowers do not stand above the plants (which are also very short, rarely more
than 5"to 6" - 12.5 to 15 cm. - tall). An interesting feature about the flowers, and an important difference
from Cattleya nobilior, is that when you look at the flowers from the side, the
dorsal sepal is almost aligned with the column. In Cattleya
nobilior, the column clearly sticks
to the front in relation to the plane formed by the sepals and petals. Cattleya walkeriana
is like a typical Cattleya with regards of color variation, as there are alba, coerulea and several other color forms that, albeit rare in nature,
has been propagated in large quantities.
|
|
|
|
Cattleya nobilior
f. coerulea
|
Cattleya walkeriana
f. coerulea
|
Cattleya nobilior grows on the driest part of Brazil, more to the interior than C. walkeriana.
These areas have a much longer dry period, and the way the plants grow reflect adaptations to that. As can be seen
on the map, there are two large distinct populations, the one to the west being the regular plants and the second,
to the northeast, comprises the amaliae subspecies. As the distribution area is so far from the
ocean, and no moisture from the Amazon leaks to the south due to tablelands, the humidity gets really low during
periods that can be up to nine months long, depending on the year. This is especially true for the distribution
for ssp. amaliae, where the Tocantins river basin is limited by tablelands
on both sides. The result is that adaptations here are even more extreme than with Cattleya walkeriana.
Plants of Cattleya nobilior are even more robust than those of C. walkeriana, and two thick leathery leaves are the norm for the species. Plants are very well adapted,
producing strong root growth, and they flower at the end of the dry season, that is, beginning of Spring (which
is the rainy season, rains starting by mid-Spring going to mid-Summer or a bit later). Plants produce distinctive
vegetative and flower growths, with no exceptions as you can see in Cattleya walkeriana.
If the plants produce seed pods, they won't grow on the next short wet season, and thus plants sometimes produce
several adjacent flower growths, which means the plants didn't grow for that many years. The amaliae types have lighter-colored flowers, from medium to light pink to almost white (even though
these are not real albinos), whereas the regular types produce darker magenta flowers. There is some variation
in color, but these forms are very rare, a few alba and coerulea having
been found. Cattleya nobilior produces usually 2-4 flower per inflorescence, and these
are usually a bit larger than those of C.
walkeriana. As said, flowering season
is almost the opposite and fragrance is completely different also so there should be no problem separating the
two species.
|
|
|
|
Cattleya nobilior
|
Cattleya walkeriana
|
The pictures above should make easy to tell the
species apart, but especially with Cattleya
walkeriana, there has been a lot
of hybridization going on, this being one of the bad by-products of artificial propagation. But this will be the
subject for another time.
|
Cattleya nobilior
|
Cattleya walkeriana
|
| Pseudobulbs with two leaves. |
Pseudobulbs typically with one leaf. |
| Pink or magenta segments, depending on the population,
with a wide whitish to yellowish area that covers most of the lip, this area with well-marked brownish veins that
spread to most of the frontlobe. |
Magenta segments, lips with usually the same color
but sometimes darker and usually with only a white or yellowish small blotch on the disk, to the front of where
the column touches. Darker veining on lips is rare. |
| Lip sidelobes well developed, loosely covering most
of the column. |
Lip sidelobes small, loosely covering only around the
base of the column. |
| Column facing more to the front (*). |
Column facing more downwards (*). |
| Spring blooming. |
Fall blooming. |
(*) see text for more info.
