Quite honestly, I do not really know what to think. I don't intend to ever try for an award and I don't breed orchids so it probably doesn't matter. I will, however, make a case why it just might be a C. gaskelliana (because, you know, it is easier than wondering what the orchid actually might be?).
I have seen Cattleyas labeled as gaskelliana on the web that have a more open lip, including some that Chadwick and Sons are selling on their website. There is quite a bit of variation in color as well, even on the lip. Some do not have the 'saddle'. I do understand that many of these 'gaskelliana' might be mislabeled but, hey, how do I know?
I have learned through talks given at our OS and my reading that even when using two of the same species in a crossing, you can get quite a bit of variation with some of the Cattleyas in both form and color. These were the rejects from the flask...I liked them and the price was cheap. The better rejects sold for more. Naturally, the reason these were so cheap was that the form IS bad. Is this because they are just a poor example of the species or because they are actually hybrids? I cannot say.
Last year, they did behave as normal gaskelliana though neither bloomed (I think they were adjusting to the red lava rock). The flowers in their first bloomings were thin, the top petal fell backwards, the size is what I had expected and the fragrance is the typical gaskelliana fragrance. The flowers emerged right away from the pseudobulb and the roots came after the blooming period. The growth cycle was on schedule as well.
The explanation for why it is blooming so early...it is my first year growing under lights and all of my orchids are off-schedule. :|
I just realized that perhaps you may be talking about the length of the column before it opens into the lip. The angle at which I took the pictures 'shrinks' the columns of both flowers. Could that be where the confusion lies? Naturally, I get to see the actual flower and not the picture so if this is the case, I see the problem.
So, there is the argument. As I am not going to pay and have these genetically tested, I don't think we can say, right now, with 100% accuracy whether these are just really bad examples of the species or whether they are hybrids. The vendor has assured me that these are indeed C. gaskelliana. He bought them from someone he knows very well. I will probably learn the truth in a few years when the vendor takes the sibling he feels is perfect to try for an AOS award. I will have to remember to post the results.
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