The Orchid Cattleya Flower

 

Orchids are known to have been popular since the ancient Greek period, and this popularity continued way into the Middle Ages. This is especially considering that during the Middle Ages, orchids had acquired a number of uses, because of the belief that they had healing powers. In addition, orchids were believed to symbolize love, beauty, and luxury, with the last quality essentially being based on the rich most often being in possession of this flower. In this paper, there will be an analysis of the Orchid Cattleya, especially its division and classification.

The Orchid Cattleya was originally brought from Brazil, and one of the first owners of these flowers was a William Cattley, who had established an exotic orchid collection. Following the flowering of his collection, he sent a sample to an orchidologist, for analysis because it had yet to be classified (McMillan, Palmater and Cating 426). The result was that the flower was described as essentially a new genus, which was named Cattleya in honor of Cattley. The naming of this new genus can be considered an important event because it opened the way for the continued classification of the various species of this type of orchid.

The Orchid Cattleya comprises of more than forty species that can be found all over the world. In addition, because of its considerable popularity, steps have been undertaken to ensure that hybrids that capture its most attractive aspects are developed (Leal et al. 622). A result has been that since the early 1800s, these orchids have been found in the private collections of various people, and when they became more popular, there they have become prominent among people all over the world. Therefore, rather than being found only in its native Central and South America, the various species of Orchid Cattleya have become common in almost all continents.

One of the most important aspects of the Cattleya flower is that it consists of three narrow petals and a corresponding number of larger petals. Moreover, the number of flowers that a Cattleya can produce varies, and this can range between one and ten flowers. Despite coming in a wide diversity of colors, these flowers cannot be found in pure black or blue colors (McMillan, Palmater and Cating 426). The Cattleya consists of two categories, the first being those that have a single leaf, or monofoliates, and the second with two or more leaves, or bifoliates.

In conclusion, the popularity of the Orchid Cattleya has developed in such a way that it has become one of the most prominent flowers in the world. This is a trend that begun in the 18^th century when orchid gardens became extremely popular, especially in Europe. However, very few botanists seem to have studied them despite their being associated with the wealthy. The efforts of William Cattley ensured that this type of orchid was found to be a completely new genus, and it resulted in a situation where it not only received his name, but it opened the doors for the further study of the various species within it.