Cattleya intermedia
 

Cattleya intermedia var aquinii. It's beautiful but I'm hoping that the flowers open more on future bloomings. I collect Cattleya intermedias...love 'em!
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h7...h/IMGP0015.jpg

Wow! That is gorgeous! I'm usually a red/orange girl, but that purple is beautiful!

From what I have read the intermedia's produce blooms called clowns (splash petals and flares) with contrasting colors. This cattleya is used extensively in hybridizing to pass the quality on to its offspring. You have a great looking intermedia :Tup: and this unique bloom is what has attracted me to the cattleya's. Thanks for sharing. :banana:

The purple on white contrast is great. What's the phal you got in the background?

This cattleya is so beautiful! Is this purple typical for all var. aquinii? All photos that I saw before were with pink, not purple. Now I'm wondering whether it is due to poor photos or you have "special" aquinii?

I can't remember the name of that Phal. It went to a new home awhile back....I'm not into hybrid Phals. It was very nice but the new owner appreciates it more than i did.

Cattleya intermedia is quite variable in colour and form. I've seen several different aquinii and each one has a different colour splash. This one is very vibrant purple but I've seen faded pinks etc as well and everything in between. I'll have to put more of my intermedia pics on Photobucket so I can load them here.

This one has a much richer color than most. Many of them are some shade of lavender pink in the peloric petals.
The Brazilians grow many varieties of c.intermedia and have special names for them. Among them are alba forms, semi-albas, coeruleas, pink ranging from light to dark, etc. It's a nice compact grower and is easy to grow.

Wendy, check out this page color and cultural info..
http://www.orchidweb.com/dtl_spec.asp?PRecno=71