Cattleya Confusion? Need some help

[Djarum Black]

I am having some problems nailing down species and hybrid characteristics of some of my Catts.

Here is what I do not understand. If anyone can help explain this, I would be so happy.

I have read from several sources that C. walkeriana is a bifoliate, but that it has only one leaf. I thought bifoliate meant two leaves? And what of walkerianas that have both one and two leaves on the same plant. Is it possible that it is a hybrid? Maybe with a nobilor? I have read it is an anomaly in the species, but I see it so often that it has left me very confused. In fact, several of my walkeriana's are showing the two-leaf trait. Is it a fluke or what?

Ok, now my second major confusion that I cannot sort out.
What is the difference between C. Dolosa and C. Heathii? Both seem to be made with the same parents (loddigesii and walkeriana), and yet often bare those two different names. Are these two hybrid names interchangeable at the moment?

It is driving me crazy because no source I can find has the same information on either of these subjects.

[matucana]

Hi DJ,

the best source for hybrid questions is Royal Horticultural Society - Plants: Orchids as they keep the records of all regeistered orchid hybrids.

Searching there yields three results:
Cattleya dolosa
Cattleya x dolosa
Cattleya Heathii

The first is a natural species. The other two are indeed crosses. But "x dolosa" means it is a natural hybrid, "Heathii" means it is made by men.

[Frdemetr]

DJ,
walkeriana in unifoliate; sometimes unifoliate catts produce two leaves, but not much often. If your catt do that with regularity, may be it's a genetic abnormality, or the catt is not walkeriana (hybrid?)
Cattleya xdolosa is a natural hybrid (note the "x" before 'dolosa', that means it's a natural hybrid) and Cattleya Heathii a man-made hybrid, both with the same parents. I think RHS accepted the C. Heathii register because it was made in 1907 and may be the natural hybrid had not been found yet (?). There is a natural hybrid between walkeriana and nobilior (Cattleya xmesquitae) described only in 1996 by brazilian researcher Lou Menezes

[LauraN]

Great information is found on this board.
Thanks to all who dare to answer questions!

[Djarum Black]

Thank you guys so much for your replies. That does help clear up some of the confusion!