Cattleyma maxima differences?

[smweaver]

Can anyone who's experienced with this species please tell me how I can tell whether a plant is a lowland or highland variety? I have one of these that I bought a few years ago. It is supposedly an alba variety and is just now setting buds (not sure whether or not maxima is supposed to produce a sheath, but mine isn't producing one--the buds are simply forming on a flower stalk that form after the newest growth was completed). If anyone can help me figure out how to detemine which variety of C. maxima this is, I would very much like to hear from you. Thanks!

Steve

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by smweaver

Can anyone who's experienced with this species please tell me how I can tell whether a plant is a lowland or highland variety? I have one of these that I bought a few years ago. It is supposedly an alba variety and is just now setting buds (not sure whether or not maxima is supposed to produce a sheath, but mine isn't producing one--the buds are simply forming on a flower stalk that form after the newest growth was completed). If anyone can help me figure out how to detemine which variety of C. maxima this is, I would very much like to hear from you. Thanks!

Steve

The main difference is the plant height, Steve. Higland maxima are short plants, 30cm high average, while lowland maximas are very tall plants, p-bulbs of 50cm or more, with long leaves (30cm or more) in general forming a square angle with the p-bulbs. Lowland flowers are much lighther (color) and the lip has the veins less crowded than in the highland.
As far as I know, the albas are from the lowland race.

[smweaver]

Thank you, Mauro. That helps. The tag in the pot says it is supposed to by an alba (I guess I'll find out in another four to six weeks how accurate that is), but the plant itself is short. Growths (both pseudobulb and leaf combined) are just short of 33 cm, but perhaps that's because it is still a young plant (this will be its first flowering). If mine is a lowland plant, so far it hasn't been noticeably suffering from the cool night temperatures we've had this summer (anywhere between 13 and 15 cm, which is not typical for this time of year). I'll post some pictures when it blooms. Thank you again for your help.

Steve

[smweaver]

Thank you, Jan. I'll continue to look up some more information on the alba variety of C. maxima.

Steve