Orchid of the day: Cattleya Snow Blind 'Kenny'

Cattleya Snow Blind 'Kenny'

It's that time of the year when many of our orchids are resting and slowly developing more buds. I've saved this orchid to post later because we had many orchids flowering at the same time between April, May and June this year. This orchid, which I posted on  May 11th, 2014, was then called Cattleya walkeriana 'Kenny'. But Arne was doubtful already then with what he bought! Upon further reading and research, we are calling it Cattleya Snow Blind 'Kenny'. It's a true hybrid which happens to be a clone called 'Kenny', that received an FCC in the past. Below is a paragraph from Arne expressing his frustration with this particular orchid. He is debating whether or not to keep it or not. In any case, let me share you the beautiful flowers which comes with a faint scent as they bloom.

B) April 26th, 2015. Arne added Spanish moss, Tillandsia usneoides, to the bark and it gave the orchid a more 'dramatic look'.

"I feel tricked right now.  In 2014 I wrote about Cattleya walkeriana ‘Kenny' as being a mystery orchid of unknown origin.  At the time I was convinced it wasn’t a real C. walkeriana for many reasons mainly because of its lack of the typical epiphytic anchorage to a slab of bark.  Now I believe it is all sorted out based on genetic analysis.  In summary, C. Snow Blind is a hybrid between Cattleya Angelwalker and C. walkeriana.  C. Angelwalker is hybrid between C. Little Angel and C. walkeriana and C. Little Angel is a cross between C. loddigesii and C. O'Brieniana.  C. O'Brieniana was supposedly a natural hybrid between C. dolosa and C. loddigessii, first registered in 1890. The species I mentioned last year when I wrote about this orchid are still involved but what I didn’t know was that C. Snow Blind was a result of a series of crosses that started by Jones and Scully in 1959. I like simple orchid species and primary hybrids (between two species only).  I will take good care of C. Snow Blind for now but I may pass it along to an orchid lover that does not mind any hybrids whatever the background might be." by Arne.

B) April 26th, 2015.

C) May 31st, 2015. The flowers lasted a long time.