Question: is Blc. Chia Lin 'Shin Shu' sheathless?

[Becky15349]

Hey all! I was wondering, has anyone experience with Blc. Chia Lin 'Shin Shu' and could tell me u it's a sheathless hybrid? Thanks! Becky

[Eyebabe]

Becky, I am not sure there is a correct answer to your question...

I have had some of my cattleyas put up sheathless blooms from time to time.
It was a shocker but pleasantly so.
These same plants have also but up bulbs with empty sheaths

Back in May I moved all my plants to a greenhouse and they happily acclimated to "optimal conditions" and grew like crazy. Thus, I think some of the plants that wanted to flower but couldn't threw some sheathless blooms out etc.

In looking up the geniology of Chia Lin, it is at least 75% cattleya species that do produce sheaths.

[glengary54]

Becky - I have grown both seed grown plants and clones of different Blc Chia Lin and mine always bloomed with a sheath but then again I have a C aurantiaca that should bloom from dry sheaths and blooms every year without them, go figure.

[Becky15349]

So strange! I guess it will remain a mystery. Mine is looking like it will develop some buds, but it never made a sheath, so I was excited but confused by it. Oh well! I'll take blooms any way!!

[WhiteRabbit]

I don't know about this one, but I do have a Catt alliance intergeneric that blooms both from sheaths, and no sheaths (I've actually got more spikes without sheaths, and a number of empty sheaths)