Sun damage or virus on C. Bright Circle?
 

I got a C. Bright Circle (Bright Angel x Circle of Life) for my mom on Valentine's Day. Gorgeous red flowers, lots of roots. I have it potted in an airy mix of LECA and orchiata, and it's in a south-west facing window.

I noticed some purple splotches on the inside of the newest leaves, and I'm not sure what is causing it. Since it gets so much light, I thought it might be sun damage, but it doesn't look like sunburn I've seen before. Could it possibly be a virus?

Thanks, all.

Impossible to say. Many hybrids of C. lueddemanniana and Laelia (tenebrosa, crispa) produce dots of pigments under high light levels. It is not typical for black necrotic spots by virus.
But when in doubt you better have it tested.

I have several Catts that got this sort of spotting after being in the sun. In my case I have assumed it to be due to the light, especially they're more tinted than black.

Catts get black spots and marks when they need calcium too.

It looks like pigmentation to me. Often new leaves will spot like that and then it goes away as the leaf matures. You said it is getting lots of sun, so that is what I think it is.

Oh good, thank you all so much! This is my first experience with cattleyas, and i'm not sure what's "typical". It probably does need a calcium substitute, though, so thank you for reminding me!

Hi,
Rick Lockwood has a wonderful article dealing with black/purple leaves. It is about the Paph mainly.
The article is called What Do Orchards Eat? March 2013
Sorry I don't know how to do links.

Donna

Could be also bacteria acidovorax, which is not a real issue on catts, better aeration maybe.

It's not a fungus not a virus anyway.

I have similar spots on my catleya, which I order online and is the first cattleya I ever had, but it must be she was exposed to sun or something, because after over a month she's doing great. I hope yours will be ok too.

Sun spots are more even and all over the leaves, round little spots.