Sergio Amoretty Souza is a retired pediatric, orchidist and has been studying orchids in the last 40 years.
He is a former president of the CGO - Círculo Gaúcho de Orquidófilos and SORN - Sociedade Orquidófila do Rio Grande do Norte (local societies in Rio Grande do Sul and Rio Grande do Norte) , as well as como o Chairman of the judgment of all national shows of Cattleya intermedia organized by the Núcleo Orquidófilo de Gramado (NOGRA) (state of Rio Grande do Sul). He is also a member of the Technical Board of the Federação Gaúcha de Orquidófilos (FGO) (local Federation).
The author informs us that this work is based on observations and descriptions done all along years about the different phenotypes that give origin to the forms, colors and prints on the petals, sepals and lip of Cattleya and Laelia species as well as in researches done in the botanical literature, specially those concerning the orchidophilia.
This work was done in order to do a phenotypic unification of the species and hybrids of both genera which have the basic colors: type (rose-lilac-purple), white, blue and wine.
He reviews the terminology used to identify the phenotypes using the classification of Cattleya intermedia as example and adds that this species has the highest importance concerning the world of orchids exactly because it transmits its numerous phenotypes in the breeding and hybrids with unique and inconceivable morphochromic beauty such as the splash-petaled hybrids (aquinada), for example.
The variety of phenotypes that it has, allied to the elegance of its flowers with varied general shape, always well presented and well flattened allows wonderful collections and shows making hard judge them.
The author explains to us that the word "phenotypic" represents the observable manifestation of the genotypes that exist in every cultivar, by our senses, mainly the vision but also the smell and touch.
His aim was to elaborate a work that makes easy the understanding of the horticultural varieties, mainly to the neophyte orchidists and also has the "boldness" of trying to unify the phenotypic terminology in Cattleya and Laelia species with the basic colors mentioned above, added of a minimum variations coming from the exclusive phenotypes of each species.
The starting-point was his discordance with the used terminology that he first adopted without knowing the origin or the real means.

The most part of the photos are by Luiz Filipe Varella, from Porto Alegre, lawyer, fond of the Atlantic Forest and orchids, having as a hobby the photography.

Revision of the phenotypic terminology of Orchidaceae, exemplified by the proposition of Cattleya intermedia horticultural classification

In order to come to a better comprehension, first it is necessary to correct some meanings that, in our opinion, are applied in an inaccurate way in other works concerning the phenotype and then to present a new vision about the terminology used in the proposed classification.



A new vision about the terminology used in the proposed classification

Trilabellia 
It is a genetic modification which occurs in the typical flowers where petals (or sepals) changed into neo-lips. 

Cattleya intermedia 'Aquinii’
It was the first Cattleya trilabeloide found, wrongly considered as a new species and then classified as variety “aquinii” of C. intermedia.
Nowadays we know that it is a Cattleya intermedia cultivar variety trilabellum it means: Cattleya intermedia variety trilabellum sub-variety trilabeloide (cultivar) ‘Aquinii’.

Peloria
(pelor greek= monster) was the word used by Linnaeus in 1744, when he denominated a "peloric plant" one cultivar of Linaria vulgaris which flowers had phenotypic differences from those of its species, essentially by a greater quantity of sexual floral complete segments. So, it is a mistake using this word as a synonym of any other floral anomaly.

Linaria vulgaris Peloric form - Linaria vulgaris Typical form

Cattleya intermedia typical form - Cattleya intermedia trilabellum

Linaria vulgaris Typical form - Cattleya intermedia typical form

Cattleya intermedia trilabellum - Linaria vulgaris Peloric form

Note:
The photos of this group are by Luiz Filipe Varella except for those of Linaria vulgaris which were published with authorization given by the Annals of Botany (Oxford University Press) and by Mr. Al Schneider (www.swcoloradowildflowers.com and USDA Plants Database)



Shape of the flowers concerning the symmetry

Concerning the symmetry, the flowers can be zygomorphic or actinomorphic

Zygomorphic
Allow only one spatial plan of division, resulting in two similar halves.

Actinomorphic
Allow many plans of division, resulting in many pairs of similar parts in shape and size.
Thus the actinomorphism concerns the flowers that have petals with the same shape and size when compared between them, the same occurring with the sepals and the others floral segments of same one verticil giving to the flower a radial symmetry so allowing many plans of cut with similar halves.
The zygomorphic flowers allow just one plan of cut, originating just 2 similar halves. All orchids are zygomorphic. The iso-sepals trilabella (similar lips in shape and size, as well as the sepals) are those which are closer related to the actonomorphism, but the irregular shape of the lip doesn't allow a perfect similarity.

Zygomorphic form - Actinomorphic form

Phenotypes used in the grouping of cultivars for judgment and phenotypic classification (varieties in the flowers form)

Phenotypes used in the grouping of cultivars for judgment:
a) Petals shapes;
b) Basic color and prints of the floral segments;
c) Prints formed by the colors stamped in the petals and sepals as well as on the lips and neo- lips.
Considering that in orchidophilia, the varieties and sub varieties were always named according to the forms, colors and drawing of the colors, it is not appropriate to denominate them with orchid collectors names. The homage should be paid, as usual, by naming cultivar, preserving, in this way, a bigger facility to separate the groups for judgment.

Phenotypic classification of Cattleya Intermedia and variations in the flowers form

The variations observed in the form of the flowers and colors and in the colors of the petals, sepals and labella of Cattleya intermedia lead us to propose the classification bellow. From the natural and artificial genetic modification existing in the species originate the morphological mutations with great disparity when compared with the typical flowers making necessary to create two more differentiated groups besides the typical diploids.

Variations in the flowers form
a) Typical diploids; b) Atyical wide petals; c) Atypical trilabellum

a) Typical diploids The most part of the cultivars of Cattleya intermedia has the TYPICAL form, usually found in nature. The flowers are characterized by having two similar petals in shape, medium size with 3,5 cm and medium width between 1cm and 2,2 cm. The sepals have practically the same dimensions of the petals, and the inferior ones are similar to each other and present a slight curvature, differing in the detail from the superior. The labellum (modified petal) is formed by three lobes, one is frontal or anterior and the two lateral are bended and covered practically all the column (cryptochil flowers). The typical intermedia is considered as diploid (2n).

b) Atypical wide petals Many cultivars of polyploid plants (3 or 4 n) are characterized by the increase of the floral segments, noticed mainly in the width and thickness of the petals which have more than 2,5cm across. Completing this group some atypical diploid also with wide petals.

c) Atypical trilabella (or trilabella) In this varietal group we found the flowers tending to form two neo-lips originated from the petals. In the unifoliate species of Cattleya, the origin of the neo-lips can also be the sepals.

When the tendency to the trilabellism is complete in the form, color and drawing of the color, it means, when the neo-lips and original labellum are identical, we have the TRILABELLA and when the tendency doesn't complete itself in any of the phenotypes, we have the TRILABELOIDE.

Trilabeloid - Trilabella

Examples of perennial and occasional anomalies which
can not also be considered as peloric mutations

Cattleya intermedia 'Foice' - perennial anomaly - sepaloid petals

Cattleya intermedia 'Paphiopedilum' - occasional anomaly

Cattleya intermedia forma 'Palito' (toothpick) perennial anomaly - Cattleya intermedia typical form

Cattleya intermedia forma 'Palito' (toothpick) perennial anomaly


 

 
 

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