Cattleya, possibly portia

[Aussie42]

Hi folks.

Tough one here, Cattleya cross and I suspect portia (C. bowringiana x C. labiata) but my suspicions may well be unfounded.

First pic is of the just opened flower, next two are of the fully opened spike from either side, last two are of the plant as isurus79 mentioned that C. bowringiana crosses have telltale basal stems.

Sure is pretty, whatever it is. Previously the best it's done for me is 3 flowers per spike, now there's two of 7 or so blooms each. And yes, it desperately needs splitting and repotting, and I will be getting it out of bark.

Cheers,
Aus.

[Aussie42]

I've been searching a fair bit since I posted - does anyone know what LC Blue Boy looks like? Or if it actually looks like this?

Cheers,
Aus.

[silken]

In OW photos Lc. Blue Boy has a similar lip but the petals seem to be narrower and held rather high on some of them. But they do on some of the Portia photos too. There are so many hybrids that look similar, so it is likely impossible to name it.

It is really nice!

[Aussie42]

I should probably have mentioned this earlier but I had to check - another plant that came from the same collection has a tag that says "6 Blue Boy". (I was pretty sure I'd remembered seeing the tag, just had to be certain.) It's a ways off flowering, still smallish, but the collection did contain a number of pieces of the same plants. Hence my suspicion. Of course, they could have mixed up the tags and the second plant may be something else entirely (and not Blue Boy) and many plants had no labels at all. But I wouldn't be surprised to find there was some Blue Boy in there somewhere.

Cheers,
Aus.

[silken]

It could very well be Blue Boy. Did the tag mean there were 6 pieces? Bummer not to know for sure, but it is still just as pretty without a tag.

[Aussie42]

Hi Silken.

I have no idea re the "6". There aren't Blue Boy 1-5 anywhere I can remember seeing, but I think there may be another one other plant somewhere with a "Blue Boy" tag. I haven't found it yet.

I like the way it starts out a wonderful lavender colour before it purples up. It's started to smell, too, not something I remember from the last time it flowered.

Cheers,
Aus.

[silken]

Oh well, she sounds very enjoyable regardless of what her name is

[Aussie42]

I was looking for something completely different when I came across an interesting image. Check out C. blue boy x C. labiata - fourth image down on the left:

–L‹´—–—F‰ï�l‹C“Š•[2011”N11ŒŽ-2

That's very close, especially to the lavender when mine has just opened - see my first image.

Am I mad or is this almost there?

Cheers,
Aus.

[silken]

It does look very similar. But I think you will never really know for sure what it is since there are so many hybrids. It still beautiful, even as a NOID.