Cattleya mossiae Hkr. 1838 SUBGENUS Cattleya SECTION Cattleya Lindley
Photo by © Jay Pfahl
Photo by © Jean Claude George
TYPE Drawing by © Hooker
Cattleya mossiae Hkr. var alba 1838
Photo by © Patricia Harding
Cattleya mossiae Hkr. var coerula 1838
Photo by © David Hunt
Cattleya mossiae Hkr. Var semi-alba
Photo by © Bill Garris
Cattleya mossiae Hkr. var. reineckiana Hooker 1838
Photo by © Dale and Deni Borders
Cattleya mossiae Hkr. var wageneri 1838
Photo by © Dale Borders
to 
Common Name Mrs. Moss' Cattleya [English Orchid Enthusiast 1800's] in Venezuela - Cattleya de Pascua or Easter Cattleya
Flower Size 8" [20 cm]
Found in Venezuela at elevations of 900 to 1500 meters in dense forests high in the canopy as a small to medium sized, unifoliate, warm to cool growing epiphyte with fusiform, ridged, green pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, oblong to narrowly ovate-oblong leaf that is rounded apically and blooms in the spring on a terminal, 12" [30 cm] long, few to several [2 to 7] flowered inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb and carries very fragrant garlic scented, color variable flowers.
This orchid is the national flower of Venezuela.
Synonyms Cattleya aliciae L. Linden 1895; Cattleya carrieri Houller. 1876; Cattleya edithiana Williams 1862; Cattleya frithii H.J.Veitch, Gard. Chron. 1889; Cattleya labiata var atropurpurea Paxton 1844; Cattleya labiata var candida Lindley & Paxton 1850; Cattleya labiata var. mossiae (C.Parker ex Hook.) Lindl. 1840; Cattleya labiata var picta Lindley & Paxton 1850; Cattleya labiata var picta [Lindley & Paxton]Rchb.f 1874; Cattleya labiata var reineckiana [Rchb.f]A.D.Hawkes; Cattleya mossiae f. coerulea (Cogn.) M.Wolff & O.Gruss 2007; Cattleya mossiae f. reineckeana (Rchb.f. ex O'Brien) M.Wolff & O.Gruss 2007; Cattleya mossiae f. wageneri (Rchb.f.) M.Wolff & O.Gruss 2007; Cattleya mossiae var. alexandrae B.S.Williams 1885; Cattleya mossiae var. arnoldiana B.S.Williams 1885; Cattleya mossiae var. beyrodtiana Schltr. 1913; Cattleya mossiae var. coerulea Cogn. 1899; Cattleya mossiae var. decora B.S.Williams 1891; Cattleya mossiae var. germinyana Cogn. & A.Gooss. 1898; Cattleya mossiae var. hardyana B.S.Williams & T.Moore 1884; Cattleya mossiae var. kermesiana-marginata B.S.Williams 1885; Cattleya mossiae var. magnifica B.S.Williams 1885; Cattleya mossiae var. majestica B.S.Williams 1885; Cattleya mossiae var. mcmorlandii (B.S.Williams) B.S.Williams 1874; Cattleya mossiae var. reineckeana Rchb.f. ex O'Brien 1884; Cattleya mossiae var. variabilis Cogn. & A.Gooss. 1903; Cattleya mossiae var. wageneri Braem 1986; Cattleya reineckiana Hort. 1883; Cattleya reineckiana Rchb.f 1856; Cattleya splendidissima auct. 1886 ; Cattleya wageneri Rchb.f 1854; Cattleya wagneri Hort.; Epidendrum labiatum var. mossiae [Hkr.] Rchb.f 1861; Epidendrum labiatum var. reineckeanum (Rchb.f.) Rchb.f. 1862; Epidendrum labiatum var. wageneri (Rchb.f.) Rchb.f. 1862
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Bot. Mag. 65: t. 3669 C.Parker ex Hook. 1838
Bot. Mag. 65: t. 3669 C.Parker ex Hook. 1838 drawing fide
Edwards's Bot. Reg. 26: t. 58 Lindley 1840 as C labiata var mossiae;
Edwards's Bot. Reg. 26: t. 58 Lindley 1840 as C labiata var mossiae drawing fide;
Bonplandia (Hannover) 2: 21 Rchb.f 1854 as C wageneri;
Xenia Orchidaceae 1:28 Rchb.f 1854 as C wageneri
Xenia Orchidaceae 1: t13 Rchb.f 1854 as C wageneri drawing fide;
Bonplandia (Hannover) 4: 327 Rchb.f 1856 as C labiata var. reineckeana;
Bonplandia (Hannover) 4: 237 Rchb.f 1856 as C reineckiana;
Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 1: 227 R.Wagner ex Blandy 1860 as C mossiae var candida;
Xenia Orchidaceae 2:30 Rchb.f 1862 as Epidendrum labiatum var mossiae; Xenia Xenia Orchidaceae 2:30 Rchb.f 1862 as Epidendrum labiatum var reineckiana;
Xenia Orchidaceae 2:30 Rchb.f 1862 as Epidendrum labiatum var wagneri;
Orch.-Grow. Man., ed. 2: 70 B S Williams 1862 as C edithiana;
Orch.-Grow. Man., ed. 2: 74 B S Williams 1862 as C mcmorlandii;
Garden (London, 1871-1927) 5: 494 B S Williams 1874 as C mossiae var mcmorlandii;
Rev. Hort. (Paris) 48: 250 Houllet. 1876 as C carrierei;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 242 F.Buyss. 1878 as C mossiae var aurea;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 242 F.Buyss. 1878 as C mossiae var aurea-grandifloa;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 242 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var aurea-marginata;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 242 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var blakei;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 242 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var complanata;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 243 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var conspicua;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 243 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var elegans;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 243 F.Buyss. 1878 as C mossiae var fimbriata;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 243 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var flamea;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 243 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var grandiflora;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 243 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var grandis;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 243 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var helenae;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 243 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var kermesiana-marginata;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 243 F.Buyss. 1878 as C mossiae var lawrenceana;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 244 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var magnifica;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 244 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var marianae;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 244 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var marmorata;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 244 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var mooreana;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 244 F.Buyss. 1878 as C mossiae var napoleonis;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 244 F.Buyss. 1878 as C mossiae var purpurata;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 244 F.Buyss. 1878 as C mossiae var rothschildiana;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 244 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var splendens;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 244 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var striata;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 244 F.Buyss. 1878 as C mossiae var superba
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 245 F.Buyss. 1878 as C mossiae var venosa;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 245 F.Buyss. 1878as C mossiae var victoriae;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 245 F.Buyss. 1878 as C mossiae var williamsii;
Orchid Album 3: t. 125 B.S.Williams & T.Moore 1884 as C mossiae var hardyana
Orchid Album 3: t. 125 B.S.Williams & T.Moore 1884 as C mossiae var hardyana drawing fide ;
Gard. Chron., n.s., 22: 173 Rchb.f. ex O'Brien 1884 as C mossiae var reineckeana drawing fide;
Ill. Dict. Gard. 1: 282 G Nicholson 1884 as C macmorlandii
Orch.-Grow. Man., ed. 6: 192 B S Williams 1885 as C mossiae var alexandrae;
Orch.-Grow. Man., ed. 6: 192 B S Williams 1885 as C mossiae var arnoldiana;
Orch.-Grow. Man., ed. 6: 195 B S Williams 1885 as C mossiae var majestica;
Gard. Chron., n.s., 26: 10 T.Moore & Mast. 1886 as C splendissima;
Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 5: 8 Veitch 1889 as C frithii nom. nud.;
Orchid Album 9: t. 421 B S Williams 1891 as C mossiae var decora;
Orchid Album 9: pl 421 B S Williams 1891 as C mossiae var decoradrawing fide;
Lindenia 11: 31 Linden 1895 as C aliciae;
Lindenia 11: 31 Linden 1895 as C aliciae drawing fide;
Dict. Icon. Orchid., Cattleya: t. 9C Cogn. & A.Gooss. 1898 as C mossiae var germinyana;
Dict. Icon. Orchid., Cattleya: t. 9E Cogniaux 1899 as C mossiae var coerulea;
Dict. Icon. Orchid., Cattleya: t. 9F Cogn & Goose. 1903 as C mossiae var variabilis;
Orchis 7: 68 Schlechter 1913 as C mossiae var beyrodtiana;
Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as C labiata var mossiae
Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as C labiata var mossiae photo fide;
Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 as C labiata var mossiae drawing fide;
Iconografia de Orchidaceae Do Brasil Hoehne 1949 drawing fide;
Orchids of Malaya Holttum 1957;
AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 9 1958 drawing ok;
Orchid Digest Vol 23 #5 1959 photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 29 No 2 1960 photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 31 No 4 1962 photo fide;
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as C labiata var mossiae;
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as C labiata fma reineckiana;
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as C labiata fma wageneri;
AOS Bulletin Vol 36 # 9 1967; Orchid Digest Vol 34 #3 1970 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 34 #8 1970 as C mossiae var wageneri photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 39 No 2 1970 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 39 No 5 1970 as C mossiae var coerulea;
Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 3 1970 as C labiata var mossiae; Orchid Digest Vol 36 No 5 1972 as C mossiae var. reineckiana photo fide; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 6 Dunsterville & Garay 1976 drawing fide; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 10 576 - 632 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1977; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 2 1978 as C mossiae var. reineckiana photo; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing fide; Orquideologia Vol 15 #1 Luer & Escobar 1981; Growing Orchids Vol 2 Rentoul 1982; An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1982; AOS Bulletin vol 53 no 10 1984 photo fide; Cattleya Unifoliate Cattleyas: 65 Braem 1986 as C mossiae var wageneri; The Catttleya and their Relatives Withner Vol 1 1988 photo fide; The Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb and Laurent 1992 photo fide; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Orchid Digest Vol 59 No 2 1995 drawing/photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 59 No 2 as C mossiae var. reineckiana 1995 drawing/photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 59 No 2 1995 as C mossiae var wageneri photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 60 #4 1996 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 66 No 3 1997 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 66 No 3 1997 C mossiae var coerulea photo; Venezuela; Paraiso de Orquideas Romero 1997 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 67 No 3 1998 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 67 No 3 1998 as C mossiae var. reineckiana photo fide; Orchid Digerst Vol 64 #2 2000 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 69 No 6 2000 photo fide; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 1 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing fide; Orchid Digest Vol 66 #2 2002 photo fide; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glen 2002; Orquideas Nativas del Tachira' Cesar Fernandez 2003 photo hmm AOS Bulletin Vol 72 No 1 2003 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 72 No 1 2003 as C mossiae var alba photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 3 2004 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 9 2005 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 12 2005 photo fide; The World's Most Beautiful Orchids Allikas & Nash 2005 photo fide; Genera Orchidacearum Vol 4 Part 1 Pridgeon, Chase, Cribb & Rasmusen 2005 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 # 3 2006 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 # 3 2006 C mossiae var coerulea photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 9 2006 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 70 #1 2006 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 No 4 2007 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 #6 2007 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 #11 2007 painting fide; Orchid. Atlas: 66 M.Wolff & O.Gruss 2007 as C mossiae f coerulea; Orchid. Atlas: 66 M.Wolff & O.Gruss 2007 as C mossiae f reineckeana; Orchid. Atlas: 66 M.Wolff & O.Gruss 2007 as C mossiae f wageneri AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 11 2008 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 78 #6 2009 photo fide; AOS Bulletin vol 78 No 12 2009 Drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 79 #2 2010 as C mossiae var. reineckiana photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 79 #4 2010 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 79 #4 2010 as C mossiae var semi-alba photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 79 #12 2010 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 80 #4 2011 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 80 #6 2011 photo fide;
Las Orquideas del Peru Izerskyy & Bezverhov 2011 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 76 #1 2012 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 81 #6 2012 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 82 #2 2013 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 82 #3 2013 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 83 #8 2014 as C mossiae var. reineckiana photo fide;
Orchid Digest Vol 79 #4 2015 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #9 2015 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 80 #2 2016; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #3 2016 as C mossiae var. reineckiana drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #9 2016 drawing/photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 81 #2 2017 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #6 2017 C mossiae var coerulea photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #6 2019 photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #8 2019 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 89 #11 2020 C mossiae var coerulea photo fide;
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