J Fortuna wrote:
I have a mini-catt (Lc Tokyo Magic 'Hihimanu' x Slc. Fire Fantasy
'Hihimanu') that has been in sheath since early July. Last time it was in
sheath about 7 months, so I am expecting it to flower around February. I was
wondering whether that is typical for catts, do sheaths generally take such
a long time to develop? how much does this vary depending on the hybrid? I
don't mind the wait, but I am just curious, especially since I now have a
second catt (Lctna Happy Face 'H&R' (Lctna Peggy San x Lc Mari's Song)) that
has two new growths and I wonder how different it is likely to be. For
example, are there mini-catts that only take 2 months between the beginning
of sheath and the opening of flower? How much variation is there in the
flowering habits of the orchids in the cattleya alliance, and what kinds of
variations have you observed?

Thanks,
Joanna

Hi Joanna,
They vary a lot! I think yours is at the late extreme for Catts. Many
Catts will start showing buds inside the sheath just about as soon as
the sheath and leaf is fully formed and they progress right on to
blooming. Then there is the early extreme. I forget which species cause
this behavior but I have at least 2 mini Catts that bloom before the
leaf is even fully developed. The flower bud literally emerges from the
leaf which is still folded in half. The leaf goes on to open flat and
reach full size while the flower is open.

Steve