March Blooming C. labiata v. alba ?

[jcaesar]

Hi All. I bought this plant from Oak Hill Gardens as a small seedling years ago. This is the first time that it's bloomed. The bloom time is throwing me off. Has anyone had a labiata bloom at this time of the year?

I posted some picts (growth & flower). It bloomed on a new growth right from the leaf axil, w/no sheath.

I read in Withner's Cattleyas & the Relatives that labiatas are able to bloom at differing times using light (like forcing bulbs). I didn't do anything specific that I can think of, but the plant was sitting on the side of my house (June to late Dec) where it only got sun until about noon. It was moved to the new greenhouse Jan 1st where it gots light from sunrise to sunset.

Could this of caused it to bloom "out" of season? I would appreciate input from those more experienced than I. Thanks!

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by jcaesar

Hi All. I bought this plant from Oak Hill Gardens as a small seedling years ago. This is the first time that it's bloomed. The bloom time is throwing me off. Has anyone had a labiata bloom at this time of the year?

I posted some picts (growth & flower). It bloomed on a new growth right from the leaf axil, w/no sheath.

I read in Withner's Cattleyas & the Relatives that labiatas are able to bloom at differing times using light (like forcing bulbs). I didn't do anything specific that I can think of, but the plant was sitting on the side of my house (June to late Dec) where it only got sun until about noon. It was moved to the new greenhouse Jan 1st where it gots light from sunrise to sunset.

Could this of caused it to bloom "out" of season? I would appreciate input from those more experienced than I. Thanks!

Hi Jcaesar
It is hard to say whether your plant is labiata or not based only on this out of time first flower. Labiatas are in full bloom now here in the Southern hemisphere and of course is supposed to bloom in six months there where you are. It is really rare labiatas blooming in the end of winter or spring, but it is possible.
Cattleya labiata is not that sensitive to light changes. If we think, it comes from the Equator region where there are no sensible changes in the daylight length through the year. They are much more sensitive to dry/wet periods - the flowers appear during the rainy time in the wild (December through April in the habitat).
So, you need to wait a little more to form opinion on your flower. If it continues to bloom by this time of the year then you can be sure it is not pure labiata.
As for the absence of sheath, sometimes this happens (to labiata).

[smweaver]

Very pretty flower. Could this possibly be C. warneri? But perhaps it is labiata. Mine bloomed last fall and the flowers looked very similar to those on your plant (see the attached picture for a comparison). Does it have a nice fragrance? It looks like it should. Congratulations.

Steve

[jcaesar]

Originally Posted by smweaver

Very pretty flower. Does it have a nice fragrance? It looks like it should. Congratulations.

Hi Steve...thanks. It looks like a dead ringer for your labiata alba and it does have a nice fragrance. Still, there miight be something else besides labiata in my plant's gene pool, which may account for it blooming at this time of the year. My labiatas usually bloom in September, but this year I moved and the plants sat in a dark spot for 6 months before being moved to there current sunny location. None of my labiatas bloomed for me this year in September. Perhaps I threw something off. Another poster said since it was a first bloom that I'd have to wait to see when it blooms in the future.