Cattleya warscewiczii

According to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew: ^[2]

• Epidendrum labiatum var. warscewiczii ( Rchb.f. ) Rchb.f. , 1862
• Cattleya gigas Linden , 1873
• Cattleya sanderiana H.Low , 1882
• Cattleya imperialis O'Brien , 1883
• Cattleya gloriosa Carrière , 1885
• Cattleya lindenii auct. , 1890
• Cattleya warscewiczii var. franconvillensis O'Brien , 1893
• Cattleya warscewiczii var. lageriana RMGrey , 1894
• Cattleya warscewiczii var. rochellensis Rolfe , 1898
• Cattleyopsis guanensis Acuña , 1939
• Cattleya warscewiczii f. franconvillensis ( O'Brien ) M.Wolff & O.Gruss , 2007
• Cattleya warscewiczii f. rochellensis ( Rolfe ) M.Wolff & O.Gruss , 2007

The species name warscewiczii is derived from the surname of the Polish botanist and orchid collector Joseph Warszewicz after whom the plant is named.

The species does not have a well-established Russian name, the Russian-language sources often use the scientific name Cattleya warscewiczii or its synonym Cattleya gigas .

Found by Joseph Varshevich in 1848, in the vicinity of Medellin (Colombia).

Cordillera , north of Colombia .
Epiphyte in forests at altitudes from 500 to 1500 meters above sea level. It inhabits brightly lit areas of tree crowns growing near water bodies ^[3] .

Average monthly rainfall at natural growth sites (MedellMn, Colombia, 1498 masl):
From December to March - 64-89 mm.
From April to November - 132-196 mm.

Cattleya warscewiczii is included in Appendix II of the CITES Convention.
The purpose of the Convention is to ensure that international trade in wildlife and plants does not threaten their survival. The application includes all species that at this time, although not necessarily endangered, but may be at such risk if trade in specimens of such species is not strictly regulated in order to prevent such use, which is incompatible with their survival; as well as other species that should be regulated in order for the trade in specimens of certain species from the first list to be effectively controlled. ^[four]

Symptodial plants of medium-large size.
Pseudobulbs univalent, 10-30 cm long, thick, shiny, spindle-shaped, arranged in a dense group.
The leaves are thick, leathery, oblong and rounded at the top, up to 20 cm long.
Racemes inflorescence , 45-50 cm long, 3-12 (according to other sources 4-7) flowering. Formed at the top of the pseudobulb, initially inside a relatively shallow green case.
The flowers are fragrant , from 17.5 to 27.5 cm in diameter. Sepals and petals of pink or pale pink color. The lip is usually carmine with a yellow neck. Often there are plants in which the average proportion of lips with a wavy edge.

Polyploid clones of this cattleya were found. The species is widely used to increase flower size in Cattleus hybrids.

Mainly in culture there are two main types of C. warscewiczii . One of them blooms in the US from late June to early July, and has pseudobulbs about 30 cm high. To this group belong Cattleya warscewiczii 'Firmin Lambeau', 'FMB'., And “Imperialis” with lavender flowers.
The other type blooms from late July to early August. It features higher pseudobulbs and larger flowers with a large, darker lip . This group includes all forms called "Sanderiana".
The rarer, possibly lost, third type of C. warscewiczii was distributed in collections at the beginning of the 20th century. It is characterized by high pseudobulb with a huge number (up to 12) flowers in the inflorescence. The flowers are rather dark, two times smaller than the other two types.
Two large yellow spots on the lip are present only in a small number of common clones , in most plants they are small. There are forms with a monophonic dark purple lip without blemishes ('Rothschild's', AM / RHS (1895) and 'Saturata', FCC / RHS (1906)) ^[5] .

• C. warscewiczii Sanderiana is the commercial name of large late flowering clones
• C. warscewiczii 'Firmin Lambeau', FCC / RHS (1912) - alba form. Found by John Lager, co-founder of Lager and Hurrell. It was sold in 1910 for $ 5000 ^[5] .
• C. warscewiczii Semialba 'Frau Melanie Beyrodt' (Mrs. Melanie Beyrodt), FCC / RHS (1904). This plant is commonly referred to as the abbreviation "FMB".
• C. warscewiczii 'Lows', FCC / RHS (1910). It is the progenitor of most of the darkest hybrids of Cattleya , including Blc. Norman's Bay, Blc. Memoria Crispin Rosales and Blc. Oconee.
• C. warscewiczii 'Rosslyn', AM / RHS (1904). Differs in a pink shade.

Complicated in the form of culture.
The temperature group is moderate / warm ^[6] .
All year plants can be maintained at temperatures up to 25-32 ° C during the day and around 13-19 ° C at night ^[7] .

Planting in a pot or basket for epiphytes with a substrate of pine bark of medium or coarse fraction.
Substrate after watering should completely dry out. For irrigation, it is better to use water that has been purified by reverse osmosis .

Relative humidity 50-80%.

Lighting: direct sunlight with good ventilation preventing overheating of the leaves.
Top dressing only during the active growing season with complex fertilizer for orchids at a minimum concentration of 1-3 times per month.

C. warscewiczii needs a long dormant period after flowering. At this time, the plant is practically not watered and contain at lower temperatures. The rest period should be stopped at the end of January - early February. Plants practically do not water until a new shoot reaches a height of 10 cm. Too early and abundant watering, delays, and does not stimulate the formation of flower buds. As the shoot grows, watering is gradually increased. By the time a new leaf appears, the old pseudobulbs must be wrinkled ^[5] .

The growth of a new shoot begins in winter, and the growth of young roots on it, only after flowering. Plants often give a second, summer shoot, but flowers do not form on it. Perhaps the dry period initiates the growth of a new shoot, and low temperatures - flowering. A study of C. warscewiczii in culture showed that flower buds were laid in late winter, when the day length increases, and night temperatures fall to 13 ° C. Flower buds did not form in plants grown under a 16-hour day or under persistently warm night conditions (above 18 ° C) ^[7] .

Transplantation is carried out immediately after flowering.

• Arthur A. Chadwick and Arthur E. Chadwick. The Classic Cattleyas. Timber Press, 2006, 252 ISBN 978-0-88192-764-1
• Armstrong M, 1998, Selected Cattleya species: Cattleya warscewiczii. Orchid Rev. 106. (1221): 163-165
• Echavarria RA, Escobar RR, 1973, La Cattleya warscewiczii y sus principales variantes. (Cattleya warscewiczii and its principal variants). Orquideologia 8. (3): 189-228

• Northen A. Orchids in your home. (Rus.)
• Cattleya warscewiczii . Specific essay on the Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia (English)
• Specific essay on the distribution of various forms of Cattleya warscewiczii in nature (Eng.)
• Taxonomy on the site Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. (eng.)
• Chadwick AA Cattleya warscewiczii. The king of the mountain heralds of the arrival of summer. (eng.)
• View essay on the Cattleya Orchid Source website (English)
• Photos of Cattleya warscewiczii on flickr.com (English)