Cattleya rex

Cattleya rex is a species of epiphytic orchid of showy white flowers, native to montane forests in Peru and Bolivia.

Cattleya rex
Cattleya rex flowers and leaf.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Cattleya
Subgenus: Cattleya subg. Cattleya
Species:
C. rex
Binomial name
Cattleya rex
O'Brien

Description

Epiphytic herb with cylindric or spindle-shaped pseudobulbs, up to 35 cm. high, with one leaf at the top.[1][2] Leaf oblong or elliptic-oblong, obtuse, light green, up to 35 cm. long and up to 6 cm. wide, coriaceous.[1][2] Inflorescence up to 20.3 cm. high, with 3 to 6 (or 10) flowers.[1][3] Flowers large and showy, up to 17 cm wide, with sepals and petals being cream-colored or ivory white, except the lip or labellum, which is colored with yellow, rose and red.[1][2][4][5][3] Sepals narrowly elliptic; petals ovate, elliptic or rhomboid; lip folded to form a tube, with very wavy front margin.[1][2][4][3] Pollinia 4, with curved appendages.[2]

Cattleya rex. Habit.

Taxonomy

James O'Brien described the species for the first time in 1890 from a live flowering plant collected in the area of Moyobamba, San Martín by Mr. Bungeroth and cultivated at L'Horticulture International, Brussels, by Mr. L. Linden.[1][2][4][5] That was the first known flowering plant outside the native habitat of C. rex.[2][4]

Distribution and habitat

C. rex is known from a few localities in the regions of San Martin and Puno in Peru and the department of La Paz in Bolivia.[1][6][7][8] It occurs in montane forests and low montane seasonally dry forests at 800–2500 m, growing on tree branches.[6][7][8]

Ecology

In its native habitat, flowering occurs between December and March.[6]

Conservation

Cattleya rex has been assigned an endangered conservation status in 1997 by the IUCN.[9] Previously believed to be a Peruvian endemic, in 2013 a new locality was reported in Bolivia, thus increasing the area of extension for the species.[8]

Cultivation

C. rex requires a temperate climate (in winter, artificial heating set at 16 °C at night and 18 °C during the day is recommended) and good ventilation (a dark and enclosed environment will attract fungi or bacterial diseases).[10][3]

This species does not tolerate dryness for long periods, so watering must be done regularly and should be reduced in frequency during winter.[10][3] However, the growing medium (cork slabs, baskets or pots) must have good drainage, so the roots can dry properly after watering or root rot may appear.[10][3]

Light requirements are high but not direct sunlight. Shade is needed during summer and brightest days of other seasons (especially if leaves turn yellow).[10][3]

Humidity must be between 50-70%, it can be achieved with the help of misters or humidifiers.[10][3]

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References
  1. Schweinfurth, C., "Orchidaceae, Orchids of Peru", Fieldiana, Botany 30(3): 535
  2. Rolfe, R. (1911). "Cattleya rex". Curtis's Botanical Magazine. 4. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 7 (77): Tab. 8377. ISSN 0011-4073.
  3. Withner, C. (1988). The Cattleyas and Their Relatives. Volume 1: The Cattleyas. Timber Press. pp. 29–30. ISBN 9780881920994.
  4. O'Brien, J. (1890). "Cattleya rex" (PDF). The Gardeners' Chronicle. 3. 8: 684.
  5. "The Showy Cattleya, Queen of the Orchids - BEGINNERS' HANDBOOK - XV". www.aos.org. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
  6. Cavero, Moisés; Collantes, Benjamín; Patroni, César. Orquídeas del Perú (1a parte) (in Spanish). CDC - UNALM. p. 17.
  7. Dodson, C.; Bennett, D. (1989). Orchids of Peru. Missouri Botanical Garden.
  8. Fuentes, A. (2013). "Nuevos registros de la Región Madidi para la flora de plantas vasculares de Bolivia". Kempffiana (in Spanish). 9 (1): 3–20. ISSN 1991-4652.
  9. Walter, Kerry S.; Gillett, Harriet J. (1998). 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants. IUCN. ISBN 9782831703282.
  10. "Cattleya rex - Cattleya Source". cattleya.wikidot.com. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
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