A rare classic! Chadwick's chapter on mendelii suggests that it was once celebrated for its large flowers and easy growth, but all the old clones from the jungle died in european greenhouses over the decades, and now there are none left. I am very interested in this Cattleya species.
This is a typical old clone.
I have it for many years!
Another nice one comes a few weeks later with flowers and buds out of the sheets now. Its C. mendelii Ocaña. Bigger and fuller flowers. I will post shortly.