C. intermedia 'Princesa Diana'

A classification system for orchids should have clear criteria, it should be well defined and easy to understand even for beginners in this art. In shows, it is common to find mislabeled plants of C. intermedia and people with difficult to understanding of the differences among the varieties. This proposed classification of varieties of Cattleya intermedia Graham ex Hooker, is based on the Rules of FGO (Federação Gaúcha de Orquidófilos). The term "variety" used here is not the botanic concept but the horticultural one, accepted for decades by orchid growers and collectors of orchids. The aim is to make easier the knowledge of the classification of varieties, basic condition for beginners to understand and to develop a fondness for the art of cultivating and collecting Cattleya intermedia. Thus some varieties, with subtle differences, they were grouped, as in the case of varieties "suave" (soft) and "lilasina" whose only difference is in the pink hue of the lip, making difficult if not impossible to differentiate certain flowers.

In the same way, we try to systematize the characteristics that define peloric flowers and their descendants, another source of endless discussions. Besides, we do not consider as variety the simple change of color of some varieties, such as "orlata vinicolor", the "marginata coerulea", "flames frezinas", etc ...
As the form always predominates over the color, we believe that these flowers should suit in the shape of the color varieties, it means, they remain as "orlata", "marginata" and "flameas", regardless of color.
Concerning the varieties of double forms as the "flamea orlata", "aquinii marginata", etc... we consider that they should be classified by the form of the flower which should predominate over the form of the color, it means they are still "flameas", "aquiniis", etc.., regardless of the color and form of the color.
We also place a comment in each variety, trying to give an idea of the current state of the improvement of the variety and giving a direction to a greater or lesser degree of requirement on the trial.

C. intermedia 'Figueirinha II'	Lip of C. intermedia

Categories for classification of Cattleya intermedia

Each category contains the varieties grouped by some common characteristic, a total of 26 varieties:

The categories I and II are independent of the color varieties of the flower, so can have any color.
The category III is totally dependent on the color of the flower.
The form of the flower predominates over the form of the color which has in its turn predominance over the color. For example: flower "flame orlata vinicolor" belongs to the variety "flamea".
When there are two forms of color, such as "punctate orlata" the form of color of the petals and sepals should have predominate over the shape of the color in the lip.

Category I - varieties classified by the shape of the flower

They are plants with modification in the morphology of the flower, not having the typical structure with three sepals, two petals and a lip on the normal shapes. These varieties are derived from a trilabeloid flower where normal petals are replaced by others in the form of an opened lip (similar phenomenon occurs with the replacement of the lip by a petal generating those called tripetaloid, but rare in the bifoliate Cattleyas). With the transformation of petals into open lips, they (the petals) tend to imitate the shape of the lip as well the color and the position in the flower. With the decrease of the lip influence in the petals, obtained through crosses with flowers type, for example, other varieties were formed which are nothing more than trilabeloid with decreasing dominance of the lip. Technically they are different forms of flowers, but we call varieties for simplifying the subject.
All these varieties are independent of color. What characterizes them is the form. Therefore, this category includes from the strongest degree of dominance of the lip to the weaker, the varieties: Peloric, aquinii, flamea, bergeriana.

1) peloric - petals, sepals and lateral lobes of any color. It is characterized by the convexity of the petals in a higher degree and a strangulation in the third terminal of them with clear separation (cutting) of lateral and frontal lobes, strongly mimicking the shape of the lip. It includes true pyloric, it means, those flowers which have radial symmetry. Just few plants fall into this category and it includes "trilabellum" and "tripetals" of any color.

C. intermedia var. peloric	C. intermedia var. peloric coerulea

2) aquinii - petals, sepals and lateral lobes of any color. It is characterized by the wide petals with convexity in a lesser degree than the "peloric" and a strangulation in the third terminal of them which exhibit at its ends, two large stains (except in the case of Alba and concolor), imitating the lip. In this category fall the "Aquinii 1 ", which originated this variety and all similar plants similar such as aquinii alba, aquinii coerulea, aquinii vinicolor, aquinii concolor, aquinii frezinas, etc..

C. intermedia var. aquinii 'Aquinii 1'	C. intermedia var. aquinii 'Otto'	C. intermedia var. aquinii concolor

C. intermedia var. aquinii alba	C. intermedia var. aquinii coerulea	C. intermedia var. aquinii vinicolor

3) flamea - It is characterized by the intensification of color in the third superior terminal of the petals forming a typical flamea, besides the strangulation, in any degree, in the same third superior. The lib has the frontal lobe in the same color or more intense. In this category fall all flamea, independently of the coloring.

C. intermedia var. flamea	C. intermedia var. flamea 'Genésio'

4) bergeriana - enlarged petals with a small strangulation in the third superior part of the petals having or not small colored spots. Normal sepals. That would be the last stage before a large petal with no trace of "peloric" the rounded flower searched for the breeders. This variety includes all the flowers in the intermediate stage between "Flamea" and the wide petals, regardless of color or shape and color that do not fit properly in any variety. It must be quite distinct from the "Flamea" and the wide petals with no marks or colored. Today these flowers are classified as "peloric" with or without spot.

C. intermedia var. bergeriana alba	C. intermedia var. bergeriana concolor	C. intermedia var. bergeriana vinicolor 'Cervejinha'

C. intermedia var. bergeriana type	C. intermedia var. bergeriana coerulea	C. intermedia var. bergeriana type

Category II - varieties according to the form of the coloring in the flower

They are those flowers that the coloring forms drawings in the flower, independently of the coloring, it means, the flowers can have any color. The variety is defined by the shape of the color and not for the color itself. They are albescens, punctata, maculata, orlata, marginata, multiform, oculata, pseudo-type, striata, venosa.
The varieties of the color form of the petals and sepals have predominance over the varieties of color form of the lip. For example, striata flower and orlata belongs to the variety "striata". Spotted and marginata flower belongs to the variety "puncatata". It means, "punctata", "maculata", "striata" and "venosa" have predominance over the "orlata", "marginata", "multiforme", "oculata" and "pseudo-types".

1) albescens - white petals, sepals and lip, spotted and or having a pinkish column.
It a spotted alba making a beautiful visual effect. It is rare to fiund good plants this variety. Nowadays, some better clones are appearing. For years, the "albescens of Stumpf" was the one. Technically is a spotted "alba" even thought some present shade of pinkish.

C. intermedia var. albescens 'Relíquia 1'	C. intermedia var. albescens 'Stumpf' (tetraploid)

2) punctata - petals and sepals visibly strong spotted (maculate). Lip with darker frontal lobe. This variety has good plants obtained by crosses. They are very attractive due to the spots. Technically it can have any color, as this "punctata coerulea" bellow:

C. intermedia var. punctata 'CG'	C. intermedia var. punctata 'Deschamps'	C. intermedia var punctata

3) maculata - It is characterized by having spots spread out over petals and/or sepals.
It is an almost artificial variety, most of plants included is this variety are, in fact, virotic plants (mosaic virus) such this one on the photo, which provokes those color spots in the flowers ("color break"). Some punctata, sometimes, blooming with agglomerated spots and are changed into muculata

C. intermedia var. maculata

4) orlata - Its is characterized by the strong coloring on the frontal borders of the lateral lobes.
wonderful variety because it presents a bigger and colorful lip, correcting a deficiency of the lip of C. intermedia which is normally small and not proportional to the flower.

C. intermedia var. orlata 'CG'	C. intermedia var. orlata 'Vini'

5) marginata - It is characterized by the propagation of the coloring of the frontal lobe through the borders of the lateral lobes, with the opened edges showing the column or part of it.
Wonderful variety with great visual impact. There are few plants with superior quality (wide and proportional petals) As the "orlata", the big lip balances the flowers.

C. intermedia var. marginata 'Coelho'	C. intermedia var. marginata 'Ingo'

6) multiforme - It is characterized by having drawing in the frontal lobe of the lip and does not fit in any other category.
Well used variety in news crosses with good specimens.

C. intermedia var. multiforme 'Extra'

7) oculata - It is characterized by presenting in the frontal lobe of lip, two simetrical blotches, well separated, as it was two eyes.
Another poor variety with bad shape. The two eyes should be similar and simetrical. Manchas variadas no labelo caracterizam outra variedade, a multiforme.

C. intermedia var. oculata 'Nestor'

8) pseudo-tipo - It is characterized by having a frontal lobe with hues of colors, separated by a horizontal line. The lower parte is dark color.
This variety has just few plants available. The most famous is the 'pseudo-tipo do Kurt'.

C. intermedia var. pseudo-tipo

9) striata - It is characterized by having distinct veins along the petals and/or sepals. (the"veins" seams to be painted out of the floral segments.)
Rare variety. The first plants found had very narrow sepals. By the crosses plants with better technical form were created.

C. intermedia var. striata 'Iwasita'

10) venosa - It is characterized by the nitid veins presented in the inner textutre of the floral segments it means the "veins" seem to be inside the floral segments)
Very rare variety. Almost plants descend from 'Heitor' (venosa), coming from the wood. The crosses, unfortunately, have not improved this variety.

C. intermedia var. venosa

Category III - varieties according to the flower color

This category encloses the flowers which depend totally on the color for their classification. It includes the flowers which have a form similar to the flower type, it means, the color of the frontal lobe is different from the color of petals and sepals and also includes those where the coloring is homogenous in the entire flower, such as the alba. They are the type, bordeaux, coerulea, fresina, lilasina, roxo-bispo, semi-alba, vinicolor, alba, concolor, rubra and sanguinea.

1) type - petals and sepals are light or dark pink. Purple frontal lobe. This is the most ordinary because it represents the dominant type and most common in nature. Nowadays we have big and round flowers, originated from flowers wide petals collected in nature, in the past such as 'Pintada do Tenente', 'Figueirinha' and some other producted by crosses from 'Quantum', 'Milionária' and many others.

C. intermedia type'Quantum'	C. intermedia type 'Boa Vista'	C. intermedia type 'Milionária'

2) bordeau - White or pink petals and sepals. Bordeaux frontal lobe. This is a very rare variety which lip has a dark purple color similar to the wine "Bordeaux".
Note for judgment: the sepals should be wide, flat and equal separated. The petals should be flat and rounded. The lip should be tubular with a very dark, saturated and flat frontal lobe .

C. intermedia var. bordeau

3) ceorulea - purple bluish petals and sepals. Bluish front lobe of the lip, varying between violet-purple and blue sky.
This variety is a very confusing as the blue of the lip usually has a lot of variation in hue and saturation of the blue, which resulted in varieties purple-violet, coerulea and amethystine. In the same way, the "ceorulensis" (the entire flower is blue with a stronger color in the labellum) have been included in this category. Thus, we propose to merge these four varieties in one, the "coerulea", accepted worldwide as a reference for blue plants. The distinction between the various shades of blue is hard, depends on the ambient lighting and individual visual perception which varies between people.

C. intermedia var. coerulea 'OS1'	C. intermedia var. coerulea 'Otto'

4) frezina – petals and sepals are white or faded wine color. The lip has a frezi frontal lobe ( rosé wine)
This variety is derived from the variety "vinicolor" or "wine" is more known in Rio Grande do Sul state. There is not good quality plants yet.

C. intermedia var. fresina

5) lilasina - white or softly colored petals and sepals. Lip with soft lilac frontal lobe.
This variety differs from "suave"only by the shade of pink, it makes very difficult to separate them in many cases. We therefore propose only that variety, which encompasses all shades of pink of the lip (includes varieties "suave" and "savvies".)

C. intermedia var. lilasina 'Kurt'	C. intermedia var. lilasina 'Kurt'

6) roxo-bispo - white petals e sepals. Frontal lobe with a characteristic color roxo-bispo (typical color of the clothing of cardinals in Catholic Church).
Another rare variety and difficult to be distinguished by amateurs. The color is the same of the variety roxo-bispo of Laelia purpurata.

C. intermedia var. roxo-bispo

7) semi- alba - white petals and sepals. Lip with light or dark purple frontal lobe.
Variety quite rare. Just few plants are really semi-alba if the flowers open in a illuminated place. Many of them tend to be tenuously pink. Just few real semi-alba have good shape. The coloring of the lip should be purple. Another color defines another variety.

C. intermedia var. semi-alba

8) vinicolor - white or colored petals and sepals. Frontal lobe has a strong wine color.
This is a very ordinary coloring em many varieties such as aquinii, flamea, orlata, etc. however, just few specimens have high quality, althought the coloring is wonderful.

C. intermedia var. vinicolor

9) alba - Pure homogenous white in the whole flower: petals, sepals and lip. It can present, in the fauce (throat) a yellow or cream hue. Although it is nowadays quite common, this variety hardly has high quality plants, perhaps due to the small quantity of collected plants and by the poor shape of plants coming from the nature.

C. intermedia var. alba 'CG2'	C. intermedia var. alba 'Carlos Gomes'

10) concolor - homogenous soft or dark pink in the whole flower: petals, sepals and lip, it can present in the fauce a lighter hue.
Except for concolor 'Maria Faceira', it was former a quite rare variety, nowadays it is easily found and presented high quality flowers.

C. intermedia var. concolor

11) rubra - homogenous blood-red coloring in the whole flower: petals, sepals and the tube formed by the lip. Lip with dark purple frontal lobe, it can present a lighter hue in the fauce (throat).
Variety quite rare and often confused with the variety sanguinea. The most part of the plants are lower quality, with narrow petals and sepals, with rare exception.

C. intermedia var. rubra (soft fauce)

12) sanguinea - homogenous bright blood-red coloring in the whole flower: petals, sepals and the tube formed by the lip. Lip with dark purple frontal lobe.
Variety quite rare and often confused with the variety rubra. The most part plants are lower quality, with petals and sepals very narrow. However it has a very beautiful coloring!

C. intermedia var. sangüínea 'Berger'

Translation note: fauce (throat - inner perianth - bot.)
Bibliografia:
-Fowlie, J. A. The Brasilian Bifoliate Cattleyas and Their Color Varieties. Azul Quinta Press. USA. 1977.
-Lacerda, Kleber et. al. Brasilian Orchids. Sodo Publishing. Japan. 1995.
-Miura, Jiro. Cattleya intermedia. Japan.