Cattleya schroederae (quasi-alba?)

[bernardomantas97]

Greetings guys!

After a long wait, this cutie finally opened its buds (2 days ago). I'm quite surprised with the color so far, I was expecting it to be a tipo (considering the tag didn't refer to any color variation). I cannot believe it will eventually turn pink as there's no visible undertone. There are however a few splashes of lavender on the edges of the lip on both flowers, so it isn't an alba. If anyone could provide some insight, I would be very grateful!

It is still very pretty, and probably should improve on the next flowerings as the plant gets bigger, but it doesn't scream schroederae when I look at it.

[Louis_W]

Albas have no pigment other than yellow at all, but occasionally they do have small mutated patches with color. Your plant does look pretty alba from me from the photos. If there is never any undertone then it may be.

Looks like schroderae to me but it may be a hybrid... did you get the wrong plant?

[bernardomantas97]

Originally Posted by Louis_W

Albas have no pigment other than yellow at all, but occasionally they do have small mutated patches with color. Your plant does look pretty alba from me from the photos. If there is never any undertone then it may be.

Looks like schroderae to me but it may be a hybrid... did you get the wrong plant?

I'm not sure, honestly... I have reached out to the seller, asking if he remembers what the previous blooms looked like for the supposed schroederae he was selling, maybe it was an alba and he just didn't remember. The plant itself does have pigmentation, especially on the newest leaf and the sheath, though; not sure if it's too common on this species, ahahah.

[Louis_W]

Oh ok! If the plant has pigment it is not alba. I guess you have a very light albescens. Looks great though! Perhaps subsequant bloomings will be slightly darker

[Roberta]

It is possible that it was an alba crossed with a tipo. (I still would be the species). I have noticed, on quite a few orchids of different genera, that when there is a mix of yellow and pink, that the pink develops late, as the flower matures. At least in hybrids. Species? I don't know. So you may not know what color it actually is for a few days.

[Jeff214]

I feel like my coeruleas all look yellow the first day, and then turn light blue. Maybe its a coerulescens-ish?

It is shroederae season right? Mine is budding...

[bernardomantas97]

So, for an update, the flowers have now been open for 5 days, and the white is as clear as before, ahahah! The only speckles of pink are the same that were present before, on the edges of the lips.

I reached out to the seller the same day that I first posted, and he stated he is sure it bloomed with tipo color at his place. So... I don't know what to make of it so far... Either way, it looks very nice; I might try to snag another schroederae at the Oporto show in March, if any of the exhibitors bring adult sized plants this year, just for the fun of it, ahahah!

[orchidman77]

This is beautiful! I think you got lucky and got a very light flower color - that, or this one blooming is unusual for the plant. Definitely not alba, as others have said, but I love blush and nearly-white Catts. Schroederae is known for having many blush flowers as opposed to many other lavender species.