Cattleya Bow Bells 'Rex' AM/AOS

[piping plover]

Ah, interesting to know. I’ve been researching the lineage of Earl and Bob Betts and can see how often Bow Bells shows up in their history.

With my orchid hybrid I can see the foliage closely resembles Earl ‘Imperialis’ as it has more slender pseudo bulbs and foliage. I think it resembles the foliage in the Imperialis photo that Bayard posted above.


However, the blooms on my hybrid appear less like Imperialis and more like Bob Betts or Bow Bells as the petals are not as rounded.

Some photos below of the foliage and blooms.

Originally Posted by Jmoney

Déesse is not in the background of Bow Bells or Earl. Bow Bells is heavily in the background of Earl. Déesse hybrids can produce a small vertical magenta streak in the midline of the lips (on some bloomings).

I have asked a lot of people in the know about this faint speckling in the lips. Most, including Plato himself, thought nothing more of it, just that perhaps some recessive genes were hidden, or got turned on somehow. Jeff's opinion, and he knows a lot, is that this is mislabeled, but personally I don't think so. Until I saw Bayard's pic, I had never seen a cattleya with this pattern.

[Jmoney]

I find that the flower shape can vary quite a bit on different bloomings. also the mericloning process often introduces mutations, hence the reason why some focus on obtaining original divisions. but even on my divisions, the shape will vary. Except Nancy Off 'Linwood'. always perfect shape on that one, I find.

You will likely not be able to reliably tell any of the white hybrids apart out of bloom. sometimes even in bloom...

I get short stocky pseudobulbs on my Earl.

[piping plover]

Thank you Jmoney for the reply. Very helpful information. I just looked up the Nancy Off ‘Linwood,” what a stunner.

The Off name looked familiar and I realized I have a 1980s hybrid lavender Catt with Lc. Elizabeth Off as a parent.

Originally Posted by Jmoney

I find that the flower shape can vary quite a bit on different bloomings. also the mericloning process often introduces mutations, hence the reason why some focus on obtaining original divisions. but even on my divisions, the shape will vary. Except Nancy Off 'Linwood'. always perfect shape on that one, I find.

You will likely not be able to reliably tell any of the white hybrids apart out of bloom. sometimes even in bloom...

I get short stocky pseudobulbs on my Earl.

[Jmoney]

The Off family has been growing orchids in Linwood NJ for a long time, currently Waldor Orchids and on the nth generation growers. This was their cross for the cut flower market and they still sell a number of cultivars, some of which have a numerical code, some of which have been named. But 'Linwood' is the best I think.

[Califoutdoors]

GORGEOUS form! I remember seeing this cultivar in bloom at Stewart’s in LA many years ago.

[Jmoney]

oh thats cool, you saw the 'Rex' cultivar? I'm always interested in where these old cultivars moved through....haven't seen anyone else who grows this one

[Califoutdoors]

Originally Posted by Jmoney

oh thats cool, you saw the 'Rex' cultivar? I'm always interested in where these old cultivars moved through....haven't seen anyone else who grows this one

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure it was the ‘Rex’ cultivar, but that rings a bell, and I remember it had an AM.

And from my memory, it looked just like your pics. The name Bow Bells always stuck with me because it was one of the most beautiful Cattleya albas I’d seen…. My fav guy at Stewart’s told me too it was an important orchid in cultivar history… Mind you, this was like 1994-ish; but they had Catts like that at Stewart’s. I miss that place…