Cattleya labiata var. purpurea-striata ‘The Three Amigos’

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Leslie, is it at all common that a warneri has been mislabeled as labiata? I know how similar they can be, except for the blooming season. Lacking any genetics, I can see how easy it could be to do that.
The two species have the same ancestor but developed about 500-800 km apart. The divergent speciation seems to make similar color variations (except one color form noted below).

Each has flowers that can look like the other. If it were not the differences in blooming seasons, there are a few other notable dissimilarities (based on my research and cultivation of both for over the last 15 years):

1. Warneri have wider flatter leaves (over 30% sometimes).
2. Labiata is usually double sheath.
3. Warneri have larger, open, rounder blooms 15-20 cm NS!
4.Warneri can have 3-7 flower per spike whereas labiata usually max at 3.
5. Warneri bloom without rest whereas labiata rests 2-5 months before blooming
6. Warneri root after bloom and labiatas root before bloom, then rest several months and then bloom.
7. Warneri have an pink albescent color form with contrasting greenish white throat (that labiata doesn’t so far as I know)
8. Warneri grows over winter/spring and blooms summer while labiata grows summer and blooms fall.

So there are enough different traits to separate and tell between these very similar species.
 
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The two species have the same ancestor but developed about 500-800 km apart. The divergent speciation seems to make similar color variations (except one color form noted below).

Each has flowers that can look like the other. If it were not the differences in blooming seasons, there are a few other notable dissimilarities (based on my research and cultivation of both for over the last 15 years):

1. Warneri have wider flatter leaves (over 30% sometimes).
2. Labiata is usually double sheath.
3. Warneri have larger, open, rounder blooms 15-20 cm NS!
4.Warneri can have 3-7 flower per spike whereas labiata usually max at 3.
5. Warneri bloom without rest whereas labiata rests 2-5 months before blooming
6. Warneri root after bloom and labiatas root before bloom, then rest several months and then bloom.
7. Warneri have an pink albescent color form with contrasting greenish white throat (that labiata doesn’t so far as I know)
8. Warneri grows over winter/spring and blooms summer while labiata grows summer and blooms fall.

So there are enough different traits to separate and tell between these very similar species.
Boy do I appreciate that summary of differences. Do you think warneri ever has a double sheath? I have a labiata coerulea that has always bloomed in the spring, but has always had a double sheath and has always had a rest period before blooming. Your list makes me think is is labiata despite the spring blooming (which must be my culture). My lone warneri is a good alba cross. They are not easy to find.
 
Yes sometimes warneri have double sheaths too but very rare.

And labiatas do sometimes rest a while to bloom in spring if its a schedule that particular plant follows (if all other variables point it to labiata). It thinks its still in the southern hemisphere lol.

It may also be that this particular labiata is not a labiata but a primary hybrid of one, with the other parent being a spring bloomer. Unless you have a proven lineage or provenance, anything is possible? Do you have a plant and flower pic?
 
Something strange is happening. The plant is flowering off season (again) with 3 buds in a half grown bulb, like a walkeriana. It’s really confused! Has anyone seen this?

Leslie, interesting things to see here.....which I haven't seen ever before.
 
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