Cattleya forbesii
Cattleya forbesii is one of the
most common species in the bifoliate group, and without flowers the plants of the species are indistinguishable
from the ones of C. harrisoniana.
When we look at the flowers, however, Cattleya forbesii is not really closely related to any other species in the genus. The two species grow
together in the swamps in Rio de Janeiro State, and occur in large quantities. These swamps are created as the
result of water coming from the mountains being blocked by the sand dunes at the beach, and the water level varies
quite substantially depending on the amount of rain that is drained down by numerous streams that feed them. Hybridization
between the two species is rather common, and the hybrid is Cattleya xvenosa. In some areas, the hybrid population is so high to the number of plants exceed the parents
in quantity. The occurrence of Cattleya forbesii
is not limited to these swamps though. The species is extremely common in Rio de Janeiro State, either on shrubby
coastal forest at the beaches or at the slope forest inside the City of Rio de Janeiro. The distribution goes uninterrupted
to the south until the State of Santa Catarina, and this continuous distribution is quite puzzling. If we consider
Cattleya intermedia and Laelia purpurata, for example, their distribution
is interrupted in the State of Paraná, but this doesn't occur with C.
forbesii. It is equally difficult to explain the continuous distribution
of Cattleya forbesii as is why
it is interrupted for the other two species. In the State of Paraná, Cattleya
forbesii grown on boulders by the sea, one of the typical habitats of
C. intermedia in the Santa Catarina
Island.
Cattleya forbesii is not a colorful
species and is considered one of the least showy in the genus. However, it is readily available and extremely easy
to grow under warm to intermediate conditions. As in Brazil most people grow cattleyas outdoors, it is easy to
understand why the species is so common in mixed collections. Flowers average about 4" across and segments
are star-shaped, thin and quite flat. Colors vary from green to light tan, sometimes with a pink tint. The rather
small lip is the most colorful part of the flower, being white with red stripes and a yellow throat.
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Distribution Map for Cattleya forbesii. As can be seen, this is a strictly coastal species. Its distribution mirrors that of
Laelia purpurata from Santa Catarina
to São Paulo, but without the interruption in Paraná State.
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 1 |
On 1 and 2,
we can see the typical habitat for Cattleya
forbesii as an epiphyte. Throughout
the distribution range of the species, this is the most common way to find the plants. Near the sea, plants grow
as epiphytes on small trees inside the thick, shrubby vegetation, as well as lithophytically on rocks facing the
sea. A bit away from the sea, plants grow as epiphytes on larger trees in the swamps. More to the interior, plants
of the species are found growing as epiphytes on larger trees in the slope rain forest. Regardless of the location,
plants of the species seems to prefer a bit more protection than Cattleya harrisoniana.
or C. intermedia. On 1, we also
see a green form of the species which blends very well with the habitat. On 2, we see a
pinkish color form, more typical from Santa Catarina and very rare in the upper range of the distribution.
On 3, we can see the most typical color form of Cattleya forbesii.
This light tan color is widespread throughout the distribution, and in this particular case, the red stripes in
the lip are very intense. Out of that, there is not much variations on the color of the flowers, except foe a few
albinos, apple green with white lips. |
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3 |
