"Mendenhall" -? identification and care

[moldy]

Hullo-
trying my hand at orchids and found this one that i couldn't resist. the flowers dropped soon after purchase (had a friend babysit it for two days, placed in kitchen away from direct sunlight but near open window) and think it was because it was stressed during transpotting since it's too soon for anything to take any other effect.

In any case, I was wondering if anybody could identify this orchid with the fallen flowers and shape of leaves. the tag says "Mendenhall" but i can't find anything online like it, and when looking at pictures, it looks like a Yam. Queen Adelia "Kiilani." if anybody can properly identify the name, and/or tell me how to care for it, i would be greatly appreciative!

thank you!

[Royal]

Hi moldy,

It's most definitely a hybrid. Your guess could be right on, I'll have to look that one up. The leaves look like there is some rupiculous Laelia in the background, maybe some Brassavola. The flowers look Cattleya like, the lip kind of confirms the Laelia suspicions. Ditto for flower color.

I can't really help much beyond that except for 'Mendenhall' is a popular clonal name used by Carter and Holmes in South Carolina. Their nursery is on Mendenhall Road in Newberry, SC so both 'Newberry' and 'Mendenhall' are the cultivar names for a wide variety of their awarded plants. This either came from them, or one of its parents did.

[orchidsamore]

I doubt it is Queen Adelia. I have a lot of them and the flowers are a brighter orange with a distinct freckling limited to the edges of the petals and not on the septals. The lip is also a bright yellow with a touch of red in the center not solid red or maroon like your photo. The plants I have are generally taller than yours and produces a great number of flowers on first year blooms.

Also it seems to be a Carter and Holmes hybrid as the name Mendenhall implies, but i am very surprised not to see a plant name as well. Why bother to make a tag 'Mendenhall' and not make it complete?

It may well be a cull

[Royal]

It could be that the name was written in marker and the part exposed to the sun faded away. Or maybe it just broke in half over the years.

[nikv]

That orchid is Lctna. Flying Colors 'Mendenhall' . It is a Carter & Holmes hybrid. Here is a link to their website:

Lctna. Flying Colors 'Mendenhall': Carter and Holmes Orchids

Best Regards,
Nik

[moldy]

that's what the tag had written on it... but it didn't sound like a name so I thought it was a retail tag id that had no actual plant identification. well.. now i feel silly. thank you, nik!

thank you everyone who helped id my plant!!
...now for the care portion...