Cattleya Maximum Lust (maxima x lueddemanniana)

[terryros]

This primary Cattleya hybrid was not registered until 2020 by A. Black and I can find no online flower photos. I don’t know the cultivars used for the registered plant but Orchids Limited made the cross using coerulea cultivars (maxima coerulea ‘Petite Blue Dancer’ x lueddemanniana coerulea ‘Blue Tinted Glasses’) and the first bloom of my plant from this cross is shown next.



The growth had only one bloom and I think it has mostly maxima characteristics. The column lacks the lueddemanniana wings, the yellow stripe down the labellum is maxima, and the configuration of petals and sepals is more maxima than lueddemanniana. The flower color is light magenta, not coerulea. The natural horizontal width of the flower is about 11 cm because the petals reflex forward, but the natural vertical height of the flower is 17 cm because of a long, vertical dorsal sepal. The blooming growth is about 13 cm from base to the top of the pseudobulb. The plant and flower may grow larger as the plant matures, but I don’t think the color will change.

Genes for Cattleya color are complicated. There are multiple genes, often recessive, that create a color form. Lacking detailed genetic analysis to identify color genes, breeders can only accumulate knowledge over many years from a “guess and check” method.

 

[monocotman]

Terry,
lovely thing. I cannot see much lueddemanniana in there!
David

 

[Greenpaph]

Very nice

 

[My Green Pets]

A lot of maxima came through on this, didn't it. Amazing that such a primary was only just registered.

What is your overall opinion of it, terryros? Do you like it?

 

[richgarrison]

I was about to post that having a maxima that inherited some size from lueddemanniana sounded fun (I grow a lot of maxima). But if it’s that same size as some of my big (maxima) flowers, it hits the ‘why’ category. Will be interesting to see if other outcomes vary like most of Allan’s crazy crosses typically do….

 

[terryros]

I am liking this because the color is pleasing and even and the labellum is attractive. I am going to bloom it a few more times to see what becomes of the size, configuration, and flower number. Jerry Fischer told me today that they have bloomed a few, which were also not coerulea.

There are a fairly large number of unifoliate Cattleya primary hybrids that have not been registered. Maybe some were made but not thought worthy of registration. Others may not have made sense to breeders or no one has had excellent parents for the cross. At least a few are probably still waiting to be made.

I don't know if Allan Black made his cross or not. If he did, he must have made it about the same time that Orchids Limited did.

 

[richgarrison]

I am liking this because the color is pleasing and even and the labellum is attractive. I am going to bloom it a few more times to see what becomes of the size, configuration, and flower number. Jerry Fischer told me today that they have bloomed a few, which were also not coerulea.

There are a fairly large number of unifoliate Cattleya primary hybrids that have not been registered. Maybe some were made but not thought worthy of registration. Others may not have made sense to breeders or no one has had excellent parents for the cross. At least a few are probably still waiting to be made.

I don't know if Allan Black made his cross or not. If he did, he must have made it about the same time that Orchids Limited did.

Personally, this is a story I’d love to follow, Keep me in mind?

 

[My Green Pets]

Would one caerulea parent and one alba parent result in caerulea offspring?

 

[terryros]

Not unless the coerulea gene was dominant, instead of recessive, which I don’t think is common. Many Cattleya color genes seem to be recessive or at least have reduced penetration, which is what makes the breeding for color challenging.