CATTLEYA VIOLACEA is a sympodial epiphyte with a broad geographic distribution in the neotropics. Introductory notes to the species and its culture reveal how this mysterious tropical queen has emerged in our collections (Kojš, 2025). This article provides information about type color form (so-called TIPO form) and other color forms, such as f. alba and the color groups (Coerulea), (Carnea), (concolor), (Amesiana) and (Amoena). The (Semialba) and (Semialba Flamea) color groups will be covered in Part 3 of this series. Based on the American Orchid Society and Japan Orchid Growers Association (JOGA) award records, as well as personal communication with growers, collectors and exhibitors, this article traces the color forms and line breeding efforts. Notes on judging are also provided. TIPO (TYPICAL)
The flower color of the typical form of C. violacea spans a wide variety of pink violaceous hues from pale to dark. The purple to red lip is frequently darker on the edges, and the side lobes enclose the column. The lip’s midlobe features yellow to gold keels. The flower segments can be “pancake” flat or with a degree of backward recurving of sepals, petals and lip.
A geographical variety (so-called Peruvian form) from Peru is said to have smaller cuplike and round, fuller flowers of very light coloration. The flower count is higher than usual, reaching seven or more flowers per inflorescence. (Aulisi and Foldats 1989). This variety, however, can also be found in the State of Mato Grosso in Brazil. Thus, its geographical designation is a bit imprecise (Zaslawski). A large, well-grown C. violacea can produce more than eight flowers per inflorescence in cultivation (Kaufmann 2024).
The first awarded C. violacea (TIPO) was ‘Splendens’. The plant received an FCC/RHS in 1883 in London. The flowers were commended for their dark and vibrant color. To this day, we can still see the designation splendens in reference to dark-color varieties with reddish tonality. Another, more contemporary, term frequently used to describe these flowers is the color group (Rubra).
[1] C. violacea ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS, awarded to Krull-Smith in 1983.
[2] C. violacea ‘Muse’ BM/JOGA awarded to Takayuki Kasagawa in Japan in 2003. Photograph courtesy of JOGA.
C. VIOLACEA ‘MUSE’ FCC/AOS The most celebrated C. violacea (TIPO) is ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS. According to Frank Smith (Krull-Smith Nursery), the original ancestral plant was jungle collected in Venezuela in the mid-1970s and selfed by Mr. Muse from Muse Orchids in Haines City (Smith 2025). They referred to the plant as ‘Tropic 1’. In 1979, Smith bought two unbloomed seedlings that had broad leaves, thus hinting at a special potential. The seedlings bloomed in the 1980s. Smith brought them to the Platinum Coast Orchid Society Show in Merritt Island, Florida, where one of them received an FCC/AOS (92 points) in 1983 and was named ‘Muse’ after Mrs. Muse who was a cattleya lover. At the time of judging, the plant featured four flowers with intense rose-purple sepals and petals. The lip had maroon side lobes enclosing the column and a deep red-maroon apical segment and throat with gold area and maroon striations. The flowers were commended for excellent flat shape, heavy substance, matte texture and exceptional arrangement. The flowers were quite large for the species, with a natural spread of 5.1 inches (13 cm). Notice the broader sepals and petals, pointed petals and somewhat recurved lip with a broader distal lobe.
Krull-Smith Nursery cloned ‘Muse’ and sold 15,000 plants in the late 1980s. The plants were sold in 4-inch (10.5 cm) pots at $125 (at the time, a reasonable price, as valuable phalaenopsis stem-props were sold for about $250). Selfings soon became available as well, making ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS an iconic Cattleya violacea (TIPO) for collectors and breeders. It also became a line-breeding cornerstone plant for this color form of C. violacea.
[3] C. violacea ‘Muse’ SM/JOGA awarded to Kouichi Himeshima in Japan in 2006. Photograph courtesy of JOGA.
As a result, ‘Muse’ (likely a meristem offspring) was also awarded a Silver Medal by JOGA in 2003. The plant was exhibited by Takayuki Kasagawa with three flowers (Natural Spread: 11.5 ×12.5 cm), and in 2006, Kouichi Himeshima received an SBM/JOGA on the plant with five larger flowers (NS: 13.3 × 12.0 cm). Later, ‘Muse’ was also recognized with an AM from the Australian Orchid Council (AOC) in 2012 with three flowers and three buds. Variability of blooms on these awarded plants is interesting.
[4–5] C. violacea (Rubra Flamea) ‘Lea’ AM/AOS.
RUBRA FLAMEA FORMS
Cattleya violacea (Rubra Flamea) ‘Lea’ AM/AOS Smith (2025) recollects that ‘Lea’ came out of the cross made in Japan and grown by the famous orchid breeder Richard Yoshito Takafuji at the Orchid Center in Hawaii. Takafuji named the plant after his wife Lea. ‘Lea’ was first awarded a trophy from the Taiwan Orchid Growers Association (TOGA) in 2004 on a plant exhibited by Tsiku Huang from Chi Ku Taiwan Orchids.
Awarded in 2020 to Palmer Orchids at the Venice Area (Florida) Orchid Society Show ‘Lea’ AM/AOS featured two flat, well presented fuchsia flowers with broadly lanceolate sepals that were veined darker fuchsia at their apices. Oblanceolate petals were heavily veined and suffused with dark fuchsia. The trilobed, deep red-violet lip enclosing the column featured a yellow throat striated red-violet. The substance was firm with a crystalline texture and velvety texture on the lip. The flowers were typical in size for typical TIPO forms awarded since 2020 (12.1 × 12.5 cm). The color designation (Rubra Flamea) refers to the deeper color intensity of the flowers and flaring on the sepals and petals. Flowers with lighter and sparser lines are often referred to as (Rubra Striata). Notice the pronounced striations on the sepals and petals and the flower’s narrow, tubular lip.
[6] C. violacea (Rubra Flamea) ‘Jean Wilson’ FCC/AOS.
Cattleya violacea (Rubra Flamea) ‘Jean Wilson’ FCC/AOS Jean Wilson, an orchid collector par excellence from South Florida, recollects buying three C. violacea (TIPO) seedlings in first bloom from the famous Robert Randall of Carib Orchids (Homestead, Florida) around the year 2000 (Wilson 2025). Mr. Randall told her that the seedlings came from Richard Yoshito Takafuji at the Orchid Center in Hawaii. Keith Davis, who was in touch with Wilson at the time, further recalls that the plant came from the cross ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS × ‘Lea’ AM/AOS (Davis 2025).
[7–8] C. violacea (Rubra Flamea) ‘Jean Wilson’ FCC/AOS in other year’s bloomings.
Wilson’s plants were tricky to grow, and only one survived. She brought the blooming beauty to the Florida-Caribbean Center Monthly Judging in 2004. The awarded ‘Jean Wilson’ FCC/AOS featured four large (NS: 13.0 cm × 12.3 cm) vibrant fuchsia flowers on one inflorescence. The petals were heavily flared a more intense fuchsia, and the sepals showed lighter flaring. The brilliant, deeper fuchsia lip featured yellow-gold keels. The flower substance was hard, and the texture was velvety.
From the award photo, we can observe that the flowers were quite flat. The basal lighter coloration draws the eye to the center of the flower as if light emanated from it.
Notice the flatness and the stunning, concentric flamea pattern. The influence of the ‘Lea’ AM/AOS parent on the flaring of the segments and recurved, deeply colored lip is undeniable.
Before Wilson moved to North Carolina in 2012, she sold off her collection. The plant began struggling with Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum), yet some clean divisions were distributed. This remarkable beauty thus still survives in select collections, as Davis attests.
As for the progeny, Wilson herself crossed her lauded plant with ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS, and Ruben Sauleda (Ruben In Orchids in Homestead, Florida) flasked the seed. The flasks were then sold to a variety of vendors (although some mysteriously disappeared as well). Hennington Farms sold some seedlings. I bought a few seedlings in the mid 2010s. They were poor growers, and most of them departed for orchid heaven shortly
Davis made an interesting cross between a semialba color form, ‘Icabaru’ AM/AOS, and a Rubra Flamea form (‘Jean Wilson’ FCC/AOS). The aim with this cross was to increase the vigor and disease resistance from ‘Icabaru’ AM/AOS and induce some of the deep color and flaring from ‘Jean Wilson’ FCC/AOS. The seedlings have been good growers and have begun reaching blooming size as of spring 2025. I personally cannot wait to see these!
[9] C. violacea ‘Tsiku Taiwan’ SM/TOGA.
RUBRA FORMS
Cattleya violacea (Rubra) ‘Tsiku Taiwan’ SM/TOGA Dennis Kao from Ching Hua reports that his father Shui-En Kao made a cross ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS × ‘Lea’ AM/AOS in the late 1990s. In 2004, TOGA awarded a Silver Medal to ‘Tsiku Taiwan’, a cultivar from this cross, exhibited by Tsiku Huang from Chi Ku Taiwan Orchids. The TOGA record mentions that the plant carried five large flowers (14.0 ×14.0 cm). Although no description is available, we can see from the photo that the flower shape (fuller segments, pointed triangular petals and recurved, somewhat broader lip) very much resembles the ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS parent. The award photo is too overexposed to identify any potential flaring on the sepals and petals and sepals; however, the photograph from Kao and my own (a meristem sold by Krull-Smith) shows the deep influence of the ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS parent in color and very light flaring from the ‘Lea’ AM/AOS parent. The color designation (Rubra) refers to the darker coloration of the segments, a feature inherited from ‘Lea’ AM/AOS. This plant is surely awaiting an AOS award!
Ching Hua Nursery has made multiple crosses in the TIPO color group, including ‘Tsiku Taiwan’ SM/TOGA × ‘Muse’ FCC/ AOS, and a recent remake of ‘Lea’ AM/ AOS × ‘Tsiku Taiwan’ SM/TOGA. The blooming size seedlings became available very recently.
[10] C. violacea ‘Sue Clausen’ AM/AOS.
Cattleya violacea (Rubra) ‘Sue Clausen’ AM/AOS John Clausen recollects that this plant, labeled as ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS × self, most likely came as a seedling from Hoosier Orchids in Indianapolis (Clausen). Named after Clausen’s sister-in-law, the plant featured three large, flat flowers (NS: 13.8 ×12.5 cm) on one inflorescence when awarded in 2007. The flowers of this clone have red-purple sepals and petals and a deep red-purple lip with white central midlobe and yellow keels. The flowers had firm substance and crystalline texture. Notice the pointed petals inherited from the parent and their open form.
[11] C. violacea ‘Canaima’s Manfred’ AM/AOS.
Cattleya violacea (Rubra) ‘Canaima’s Manfred’ AM/AOS This plant came out of a batch of seedlings from the outcross between ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS and another TIPO clone with large flowers and an easy growing habit (Sinn). Later, Sinn made crosses with ‘Canaima’s Manfred’ AM/AOS, some of which bloomed with very high flower quality, like the parent. When awarded in 2011, the plant carried four large, flat, well-formed flowers (NS: 12.9 × 12.5 cm) pleasantly arranged on one inflorescence. The rich violet sepals and petals featured a central white halo. The white lip’s side lobes and midlobe were heavily overlaid with intense violet, and the keels were yellow. The judges present noted very firm substance and crystalline texture. Notice the unmistakable influence of ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS in shape and coloration.
Around 2015, Ben Oliveros bought a few seedlings labeled as ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS × self from a Taiwanese grower (Oliveros). Two of them turned out to be outstanding, and both received AOS Awards of Merit (‘Dark Star’ AM/AOS and ‘Corona’ AM/ AOS). The following section describes both awarded plants. Notice their features and think about how they reflect the parental influence. Is it possible that they are ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS selfings based on the previously described plants of the same heritage?
[12] C. violacea ‘Dark Star’ AM/AOS.
Cattleya violacea (Rubra) ‘Dark Star’ AM/AOS When awarded in 2022, ‘Dark Star’ AM/AOS carried 10 exceptionally dark flat flowers on three inflorescences (NS: 10.0 × 9.7 cm). The oblong, deep magenta sepals and petals had light proximal magenta flares. The spatulate white lip was heavily overlaid with deep magenta, and its side lobes almost enclosed the column. The lip also featured the typical yellow keels, white column and white anther cap. The flower substance was described as very firm, and its texture as crystalline.
[13] C. violacea ‘Corona’ AM/AOS.
Cattleya violacea (Rubra) ‘Corona’ AM/AOS This cultivar received an AM in 2020. The plant was exhibited by Ben Oliveros of Orchid Eros. It carried four round, flat, well-formed flowers on one inflorescence. The flat light lavender sepals were thinly veined with dark purple. Slightly undulate lavender petals featured a wide purple picotee along the margins. The white lip had a yellow throat, and its distal lobe was vibrantly purple. The column was described as sparkling white and the anther cap as purple. The flowers had heavy substance and matte texture. The plant was recognized for being a new and exquisite form of the species. The smaller natural spread of 8.3 x 8.1 cm suggests the Peruvian form.
[14] The author’s division of C. violacea ‘Corona’ AM/AOS in bloom.
Can we imagine that the narrower lip of ‘Dark Star’ AM/AOS and extensive flaring on the segments of ‘Corona’ AM/AOS come from ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS? These features remind us of ‘Jean Wilson’ FCC/AOS and perhaps even more so of ‘Lea’ AM/AOS. Is it possible that the plants got mislabeled and come, instead, from a ‘Tsiku Taiwan’ SM/TOGA cross?
[15] C. violacea ‘Redondinha’ AM/AOS. Photograph by Glen Barfield.
[16–17] The author’s plant in flower. Photographs by the author
[18–19] C. violacea ‘Redondinha’ AM/AOS outcross results. Photographs by Alek Zaslawski.
Cattleya violacea (Rubra) ‘Redondinha’ AM/AOS The cultivars with light-colored petals and sepals overlaid with darker purple striations and dark purple lip are sometimes referred to as Aquinii forms (Aulisi). Others refer to it as the Striata color group. According to Zaslawski, C. violacea ‘Redondinha’ AM/AOS came from a grower in Brazil’s Rondônia State many years ago and was most likely wild-collected. It is considered to be a very good grower.
In 2021, an AM was granted to a plant exhibited by The OrchidFix Nursery in Hawaii. When awarded, the plant featured six medium-sized (NS: 10.2 × 9.6 cm) flat and stellate lavender flowers finely striated distally. The shorter, slightly recurved lip was white, overlaid with purple, and had a white throat and yellow keels. The side lobes were royal purple, enclosing the column. The flowers had a hard substance and a matte texture. Pleasing in appearance, this plant represents a different strain from the lauded ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS. Notice the variability of blooming in the pictures included here. My division tends to bloom lighter with very pronounced striations. Notice how the shape and coloration can also vary from blooming to blooming, a very typical aspect of C. violacea. According to Aulisi’s observations, this variety, with its smaller, lighter and fuller flowers reminds us of the Peruvian forms.
AWZ Orquídeas in Brazil used ‘Redondinha’ AM/AOS in a very few crosses and typically, only a few seeds germinated. Z-1259 C. violacea (‘Profusa’ × ‘Redondinha’ AM/AOS) yielded the pleasing ‘Redondinha’ AM/AOS shape with fuller segments. The ‘Profusa’ parent originated from Brazil’s Amazonas State in the early 2000s. Its flowers were wellshaped, and the plant produced as many as 10 flowers per inflorescence. More recent line breeding with ‘Redondinha’ AM/AOS includes its selfing and crosses with darkcolored (Semialba Flamea) forms. The plants are in flasks at the time of this article’s writing.
[23] C. violacea ‘Sarasota’ AM/AOS.
Cattleya violacea (Rubra) ‘Sarasota’ AM/AOS Rafael Romero (Plantio la Orquidea) recounts that this plant was collected in the State of Bolivar, Venezuela in the 1970s and was moved to their nursery in Caracas (Romero). It did not perform very well at the high elevation of Caracas. Once brought to Florida, however, the plant developed to its full potential. It was awarded an AM in 2011. At judging, the plant featured two large flat flowers with fuchsia sepals and petals. The lip was white centrally with a prominent dark fuchsia midlobe and central yellow keels. The side lobes were apically suffused fuchsia. Each flower’s substance was very firm, and its texture velvety. Notice the pleasing geometrical symmetry of the sizeable flowers that measured 15.0 × 13.9 cm in natural spread. This is the largest flowered C. violacea ever awarded!
[20] C. violacea ‘Waterford’ AM/AOS.
[21] ’Waterford’ photographed in natural sunlight
Cattleya violacea (Rubra) ‘Waterford’ AM/AOS Bayard Saraduke acquired this plant as a seedling from Miranda Orchids around 2019 (Saraduke). Although its heritage is unknown, the plant obviously comes from other breeding than ‘Muse’ FCC/AOS. When awarded in 2022, the plant featured three relatively flat flowers (NS: 12.0 × 11.5 cm) on one inflorescence. Elliptical, rich lavender sepals exhibit a narrow white picotee, and the petals are veined dark lavender distally. The lip’s red-purple side lobes, midlobe, and anther cap contrasted with the white column and yellow striations on the central part of the midlobe. The flowers had medium substance and slightly crystalline texture. Notice the beautifully open fan-like lip.
[22] C. violacea ‘Chasus’ AM/AOS
Cattleya violacea (Rubra) ‘Chasus’ AM/AOS This plant came to Charles Wilson as a seedling from Clown Alley Orchids in May of 2010 (Wilson). When awarded in 2015, the plant featured four very large, flat flowers on one inflorescence (NS: 14.4 × 13.7 cm). The sepals and petals were fuchsia, and the very flat white lip was overlaid dark fuchsia and featured central yellow keels. The flowers had very firm substance and crystalline texture. The reasonably flat lip on this clone is quite striking.
F. ALBA FORMS
In Brazil, Zaslawski reports that while C. violacea (TIPO) can be found in the Amazonas and Roraima States, the best quality tipos, as well as blue forms, f. alba and Amesiana color groups come from Rondônia State (Zaslawski). Roraima State is rich in excellent Concolor and Semialba Flamea forms. No detailed findings are known from the Brazilian states of Pará, Mato Grosso and Acre, which also host populations of C. violacea.
The first alba form is said to have appeared in Brazil in 1890. It was described by Rolfe as flowers with “pure white” coloration (Williams). In 1895, the first FCC/RHS was granted to an f. alba cultivar. The next f. alba was described in Venezuela in 1957 (Keller). The flower caused a sensation at an orchid show in Caracas, and its owner, Don Luis Henrique Yanes, wrote an article about its origin in the State of Bolivar (Yanes). The flower was reported as white, although it was also noted that it turned slightly pink over a few days (Dunsterville). Could it possibly be an even more rare Rosada color form?
In Brazil, the best f. alba cultivars are said to originate from Rondônia State (Zaslawski). Bela Vista and AWZ nurseries have made several crosses that are now available to growers in the US, Japan and Europe. Some of their progeny have received AOS awards.
Cattleya violacea f. alba ‘Canaima’s Virgen’ HCC/AOS The very first AOS award to a C. violacea f. alba was given to Canaima Orchids in 2011. It is an outcross of two f. alba parents from the Bela Vista nursery (Sinn). ‘Canaima’s Virgen’ HCC/AOS had two well-presented, average-size white flowers (9.2 × 8.9 cm) featuring flat sepals and lightly ruffled petals. The lip’s midlobe was ruffled and showed a central yellow mark. The side lobes folded over the column. The flowers’ substance was firm and their texture highly crystalline.
A couple of years after ‘Canaima’s Virgen’ HCC/AOS, Odom’s Orchids was showered with AOS awards for their C. violacea f. alba plants. Rob Schneider reports that the flasks and some small seedlings of this color form came to them between 2008 and 2010 from Bela Vista. Some of the awards even carry the BV acronym in their names (Schneider), such as C. violacea f. alba ‘Odom’s Orchids BV23’ HCC/AOS (two flowers, 2013, NS: 10.0 × 10.0 cm) and C. violacea f. alba ‘Odom’s Orchids BV33’ HCC/AOS (three flowers, 2014, NS: 10.5 × 9.7 cm). Both plants exhibited pure white flowers with yellow gold markings in the proximal area of the lip’s midlobe, firm substance and crystalline texture. Notice the undulate petals. This feature has been considered undesirable, and line-breeding programs strive to remove it.
[24] C. violacea f. alba ‘Odom’s Orchids BV23’ HCC/AOS.
[25] C. violacea f. alba ‘Odom’s Orchids BV33’ HCC/AOS.
[26] C. violacea f. alba ‘Odom’s Orchids’ AM/CHM/AOS.
Cattleya violacea f. alba ‘Odom’s Orchids’ AM/CHM/AOS Odom’s Orchids received both an AM and Certificate of Horticultural Merit on C. violacea f. alba ‘Odom’s Orchids’ in 2012. Two large, full, white flowers (10.0 x 10.3 cm) were presented on a strong upright inflorescence. The lip showed a canary yellow throat and a white column enclosed by the side lobes. The very firm substance and crystalline texture further defined the flowers.
[27] C. violacea f. alba ‘Odom’s Orchids #2’ AM/AOS.
Cattleya violacea f. alba ‘Odom’s Orchids #2’ AM/AOS Odom’s Orchids received an AM in 2013 on C. violacea f. alba ‘Odom’s Orchids #2’. There were three medium-sized white (9.5 × 9.6 cm) flat and pleasingly round flowers with rounded sepals tipped with green at the apices. The petals were slightly undulate at the upper and lower margins and exhibited a prominent midrib. The narrow lip’s midlobe was ruffled at the margins and yellow over the proximal two-thirds. The side lobes enveloped the white column and anther cap. The flower substance was firm, and their texture was crystalline.
[28] C. violacea f. alba ‘Isabel Rosalia’ AM/AOS.
Cattleya violacea f. alba ‘Isabel Rosalia’ AM/AOS Exhibited by Oliveros of Orchid Eros in 2017, C. violacea f. alba ‘Isabel Rosalia’ carried four dazzling white, basally green, flowers on an upright inflorescence (NS: 10.0 × 10.2 cm). The sepals and petals were slightly reflexed apically, and the petals’ distal margins were slightly undulate. The lip featured a central bright yellow splash. Its side lobes enclosed the column, and its midlobe margins were undulate and serrate. The flowers’ substance was supple, and their texture crystalline.
[29] C. violacea f. alba ‘Alves Oliveira’
[30] C. violacea f. alba ‘Adelaide’
The plant emerged from the AWZ cross Z-3127 ‘Alves Oliveira’ × ‘Adelaide’—both albino forms. Notice the influence of both parents on the flower shape. The yellow lip spot comes from ‘Alves Oliveira’.
[31] C. violacea f. alba ‘Orchid Eros’ AM/ AOS.
Cattleya violacea f. alba ‘Orchid Eros’ AM/AOS In 2022, C. violacea f. alba ‘Orchid Eros,’ a plant exhibited by Ben Oliveros of Orchid Eros, received an AM. When awarded, the plant carried five large, flat, white flowers on one upright inflorescence (NS: 13.2 × 11.7 cm). The lanceolate dorsal sepal was distally recurved and intensely green at the apex. The lateral sepals featured darker venation, and their apices were also intensely green. The broadly ovoid and marginally ruffled petals also included darker venation. The distally ruffled lip had side lobes that enclosed the column. The centrally raised callus on the midlobe was centrally bright yellow. The flowers’ substance was described as supple and their texture as crystalline.
[32] C. violacea f. alba ‘Everest’
[33] C. violacea f. alba ‘La Peruana’
This plant is a result of another AWZ cross Z-1011 (‘Everest’ × ‘La Peruana’). While ‘Everest’ came from Rondonia State, ‘La Peruana’, as the name suggests, comes from Peru. Notice the strong flower shape influence of both parents and ‘La Peruana’s’ lip. Both parents influenced the larger yellow area on the lip of ‘Orchid Eros’ AM/AOS.
[34] C. violacea f. alba ‘Krull’s Ghost’
Cattleya violacea f. alba ‘Krull’s Ghost’ AM/AOS This jungle-collected plant was a gift to Frank Smith from a friend in Venezuela many years ago. It was recently recognized by the AOS, and meristems are available. The results of subsequent breeding are yet to be seen; however, seedlings are said to be in plug trays already (Smith)!
When awarded in 2022 to a plant displayed by Krull-Smith, ‘Krull’s Ghost’ AM/AOS carried five elegant and nicely arranged white flowers (11.2 × 11.0 cm). The elliptical sepals had green tips, and the broadly lanceolate petals had undulate margins. The bifurcate lip featured a dentate, slightly reflexed, and gently ruffled edge. Its midlobe displayed a proximal yellow stripe radiating centrally outwards from the column. The side lobes enclosed the white column and anther cap. This is the highest award given to the alba form to date. Observe that the beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Some consider undulate petals and lip attractive, and others find it undesirable.
[35] C. violacea f. alba ‘The White Swan’
Kao from Ching Hua reports breeding with the alba clones ‘Hsinying’ from Bela Vista, ‘OCN’ from Stan Nagala’s OCN Orchids and ‘Walter Rocha’. Although images and more information are not available, one cultivar ‘The White Swan’is a testament to their superb breeding program. ‘The White Swan’ is a result of ‘OCN’ × ‘Walter Rocha’. The star-shaped, large, pure-white flat flowers feature a pleasing yellow spot in the throat.
THE BLUE COLOR GROUP (COERULEA)
The first known (Coerulea) was identified from the banks of the Capanaparo River in the Venezuelan state of Apure in the 1970s. The cultivar ‘E. Lander’ was presented at an orchid show in Caracas in 1978 by Edmundo Lander and received a Certificate of Botanical Merit (CBM)/SOEM (Aulisi). From the image, we can observe the darker caerulean sepals and petals and a pronounced deep-purple lip. The flowers appear remarkably full and somewhat smaller, resembling the Peruvian tipo strain. The plant apparently suffered in the cooler, high-elevation conditions of Caracas (similar to the tipo ‘Sarasota’ AM/AOS) and eventually succumbed to rot (Betancourt).
[36–38] A seedling from the grex, C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Dona Celina’ × self, illustrating the variability from blooming to blooming.
[39–40] Another seedling from the selfing of C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Dona Celina’ exhibits similar variability from blooming to blooming.
Cattleya violacea (Coerulea) ‘Dona Celina’ In Brazil, the best ceruleas are known to come from Rondônia state. A great example is C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Dona Celina,’ which was collected by Marco Antonio de Oliveira. The plant was named after Marco’s grandmother Dona (Da.) Celina (Cesar Fernandez).
The original plant and its divisions (one sold to Fernandez) died, as the plant was a difficult grower. De Oliveira, however, managed to self it first. The flasks became available in Brazil in the mid-2010s; however, the seedlings have been very difficult to grow, and most are said to have died (Zaslawski). Those that have survived are extremely rare and have been blooming since the early 2020s with outstanding flowers. The flowers are full, flat and round, though somewhat smaller in size (NS: 8-9 cm). The sepals and petals are bluish lavender, and the lip is typically short, dark caerulean-purple and reasonably flat. The lip’s side lobes, enclosing the column, are dark purple. The midlobe features the typical yellow keels. Notice how the blooms vary from year to year, a typical feature for all color forms of C. violacea.
[41] C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Bela Vista’
Cattleya violacea (Coerulea) ‘Bela Vista’ and its selfings Cattleya violacea (Coerulea) plants that have been used in breeding programs in Japan and Taiwan are said to originate from Bela Vista nursery in Brazil as a selfing of their ‘Bela Vista’ cultivar. The selfings of this plant were sold for high prices at shows in the US and Japan in the mid-2000s. The star-shaped flowers feature flat, bluish lavender segments and a deep caerulean lip, which is slightly recurved. Antonio Schmidt shared a photo of a printed photograph with me, as the digital originals got lost in a computer transfer (Schmidt). Therefore, excuse the overexposure.
Kao (Ching Hua) reports acquiring three (Coerulea) ‘Bela Vista’ selfed seedlings at one of the shows in Florida and others in Japan. After they bloomed, his father, Mr. Shui-En Kao, named two of these seedlings ‘K.S.#1’ and ‘K.S. #2’ and crossed them in the early 2010s. This cross became the cornerstone of their (Coerulea) breeding program. They began offering bloomingsize seedlings at lower prices in the mid2010s. As of 2025, Ching Hua has been selling blooming size plants from the F2 generation.
Similarly, Heishan Wilson (Wilson Orchids) has bred and sold seedlings from Japan, likely from the same ‘Bela Vista’ selfing batch. He too has been offering F2 seedlings. While we can speculate further about the origin of these plants, the following awards from both Japan and the US show a remarkable similarity in shape and coloration, resembling the ‘Bela Vista’ parent. Let us look at some of them in chronological order.
[42] C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Yukako’ BM/ JOGA. Photograph courtesy of JOGA.
Takao Suzuki’s plant C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Yukako’ was awarded a Bronze Medal by JOGA in 2011. The parentage of ‘Yukako’ BM/JOGA is described as ‘Bela Vista’ x self in the JOGA database. The plant carried three large flowers (NS: 11.3 × 10.3 cm). Notice the flower’s star shape, the upright dorsal sepal, lanceolate shape of all sepals, ovate and twisted backwards petals and fan-shaped lip with central bifurcation. Note that twisting could be a cultural effect. The consistent caerulean color on the sepals and petals is complemented by a deep purple lip enclosing the column with central yellow keels overlaying the cream central lobe.
[43] C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Ikepi’ BM/JOGA. Photograph courtesy of JOGA.
Six years passed before another C. violacea (Coerulea) was awarded in Japan. Exhibited by Sakurai Hajime, the cultivar ‘Ikepi’ received a BM/JOGA in 2017 with three large flat flowers (NS: 12.8 × 12.3 cm). The parentage is unknown. Notice the similarities and differences with ‘Yukako’ BM/JOGA. The overall starry flower shape and light lavender coloration on the sepals and petals are shared. ‘Ikepi’ BM/JOGA shows, however, much flatter petals. Notice the slight curving inwards on the lateral sepals. While also fan-shaped and centrally bifurcated, the lip’s terminal lobe is more compact and angular. Its side lobes are more saturated.
[44] C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Ayano Suzuki’ SM/JOGA. Photograph courtesy of JOGA.
Broadening and somewhat upward facing of the petals (toward the dorsal sepal) as well as the elongation of the lip’s midlobe can be seen in the progeny of (‘K. S. #1’ × ‘K.S. #2’) (both ‘Bela Vista’ × self). The JOGA records cite such parentage for the cultivar ‘Ayano Suzuki’ SM/JOGA (six flowers, 2020, NS: 12.3 × 11.2 cm) awarded to Takanori Suzuki in Japan.
[45] C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Carola’ AM/AOS
Armando Betancourt from Miami, FL, acquired three ‘Bela Vista’ × self-seedlings from the nursery in the early 2010s at a high price. Schmidt was, after all, the only vendor offering such rare beauties (Betancourt). Out of the three plants, the cultivar ‘Carola’ received an AM/AOS with two flowers in 2018 (NS: 12.0 × 11.4 cm).
[46] C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Blue Bride’ AM/AOS
[47] C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Dr. Rachel Joy Weiss’ AM/AOS
Additionally, two plants originating from Wilson Orchids (and likely ‘Bela Vista’ × self) were awarded in Florida shortly after: ‘Blue Bride’ AM/AOS (two flowers, 2021, NS: 12.3 × 11.0 cm) awarded to Tony Millet and ‘Dr. Rachel Joy Weiss’ AM/AOS (three flowers, 2022, NS: 11.1 × 11.0 cm) awarded to the author.
[48] C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Popa Chubby’ AM/AOS
[49] C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Gabriel Amaru’ AM/AOS
Oliveros from Orchid Eros in Hawaii also reports purchasing seedlings of C. violacea (Coerulea) from a Taiwanese grower in the mid-2010s. Two of his cultivars have received AOS awards: The cultivar ‘Popa Chubby’ received an AM/ AOS in 2020. Five stellate flowers (NS: 11.5 × 11.0 cm) featured lanceolate lavenderblue sepals and petals and a pristine white trilobed lip with a burnt darkest lavenderblue midlobe and a faint yellow central stripe in the throat. In 2023, C. violacea (Coerulea) ‘Gabriel Amaru’ received an AM with six fantastic medium-sized stellate flowers (NS: 10.2 × 9.4 cm) on one inflorescence. Both of his awarded cultivars display less pointed petals, a shorter lip and deeper purple coloration on the side lobes enclosing the column. Could these features be caused by climate and culture? The flower shape is undeniably like those from the ‘Bela Vista’ line.
CARNEA COLOR GROUP
This color form is still extremely rare. The sepals and petals are either pure white or off white with a coral pink coloration on the lip. Very early C. violacea (Carnea) AOS awards include the cultivars ‘Boa Vista’ HCC/AOS (2012, Marcio Silveira, exhibitor, Associação Orquidófila de São Paulo – AOSP, Sociedade Brasileira de Cultura Japonesa judging) and ‘John Odom’ HCC/AOS (2013, Odom’s Orchids, exhibitor, Vero Beach Orchid Society Show Riverside Park judging). The origin of these plants is unknown.
[50] C. violacea (Carnea) ‘Rio Negro’
[51] C. violacea (Carnea) ‘AWZ’
AWZ reports that they had two plants from Rondônia state and one from Amazonas state. The nursery made two generations of crosses using (Carnea) color group parents (before one of the plants departed for orchid heaven), resulting in 100% (Carnea) progeny. Interestingly, F1 generation plants were better growers than the F2 seedlings. Pictured here are the parents of the Z-1091 cross ‘Rio Negro’ × ‘AWZ’). Notice the open stellate shape and beautifully colored, reasonably flat lip.
The seedlings were sold at orchid shows in the US, and some have already received recognition from the AOS. Oliveros (Orchid Eros) received three awards on plants from this cross. As expected, they all share certain features: the stellate shape of the flowers with the lanceolate pale pearl and basally green sepals (“a sign of pure speciesness” as Dr. Motes once told me), obovate petals with soft pale pearl pink lines and a spatulate white lip with dark coral pink coloration on the distal third. The lips were striped centrally yellow, and their side lobes were blushed dark coral pink. The flowers shared firm substance and diamond dust texture.
[52] C. violacea (Carnea) ‘Isabel Rosalia’ CHM/AOS
Firstly, C. violacea (Carnea) ‘Isabel Rosalia’ was recognized in 2021 with a CHM/AOS with four large stellate flowers (NS: 12.5 × 11.0 cm). Notice the influence of the ‘AWZ’ parent on the flower shape.
[53] C. violacea (Carnea) ‘Sebastian Ferrell’ AM/AOS
[54] C. violacea (Carnea) ‘Gabriel Amaru’ AM/AOS [Barfield]
The recurved lip appears to have taken on the shape of the ‘Rio Negro’ parent. Then, C. violacea (Carnea) ‘Sebastian Ferrell’ AM/AOS with two large flat flowers (NS: 11.9 × 11.8 cm) was awarded in August 2022. Notice the influence of the ‘Rio Negro’ parent on the lip’s shape, and the broadened segments and more intense coloration from the ‘AWZ’ cultivar. At the same judging, C. violacea (Carnea) ‘Gabriel Amaru’ was awarded an AM/AOS with four large stellate flowers (NS: 12.5 × 11.0 cm). Notice the prominent influence of the ‘AWZ’ parent on the flower shape and color. Both ‘Sebastipan Ferrell’ AM/AOS and ‘Gabriel Amaru’ AM/AOS show the more desirable flat lip. The pink coloration on all these cultivars appears more intense than that of both parents. This can be a result of genetics, culture or both.
AMESIANA COLOR GROUP
The flower coloration of the Amesiana color group can be described as a very light lavender or pink overlay on both sepals and petals. The lip is typically darker lavender or pink, and the midlobe is likely to feature the “V” shape of the darkest shade of the color overlay, referred to as “gravatinha” (a bow tie) and also as Anelata in Brazil. Such a “V” marking of darker coloration can also be found on flowers in the Concolor color group. Members of the Amesiana color group are very delicate beauties, indeed.
[55] C. violacea (Amesiana) ‘Coronet’ GM/ JOGA. Photograph courtesy of JOGA.
Perhaps the most famous Amesiana is the cultivar ‘Coronet’ GM/JOGA awarded a Golden Medal in Japan in 2013 to Kouji Degawa. The JOGA records refer to the color as “suavissima.” Eight large flowers were presented on two inflorescences (NS: 11.6 × 11.8 cm). From the award photo, we can observe the light pink coloration on the sepals and petals. The petals appear to be edged darker pink distally. The spatulate and slightly recurved lip features the characteristic V-shape which is darker pink.
[56] C. violacea (Amesiana) ‘Urupá’
According to AWZ, the amesianas with best form come from Rondônia state in Brazil. Perhaps the most famous one is the cultivar ‘Urupá’. Progeny of this plant (both selfings and outcrosses) are available now and, unlike the carneas, easier to grow.
[57] C. violacea (Amesiana) ‘É uma Princesa’
AMOENA-DELICATA COLOR GROUP
This rare color variant has an extremely pale pink or lavender flower with a very light pink or lavender lip, which is apically darker pink (similar to the amesiana form). In some literature, the term delicata has been used to describe such flowers (Aulisi).
The first C. violacea (Delicata) ‘Charlotte Steiner’ was awarded an AM in Venezuela to Dr. Icilio Crisci in 1985. The flat and somewhat full flowers featured pale pink sepals and petals. The lip’s apical edge was darker pink.
ROSADA COLOR GROUP
Other color groups include C. violacea (Rosada), which feature white flowers overlaid pink, rose or light purple, particularly strongly in the centers of the petals and sepals. The lip tends to be much darker purple. The flowers tend to have a strong crystalline texture.
[58] C. violacea (Rosada) ‘Floralia’s Rose’ AM/AOS
‘Floralia’s Rose’ AM/AOS might be an example of this color group. This award was given to a plant exhibited by Floralia Orquidario Reunidos in 1997. The plant’s origin is unknown (Chaplin). Four flowers of “great beauty and delicacy” featured white sepals suffused heavily with lavenderpink. The petals were lavender-pink and suffused with deeper pink, with a slight purplish-pink venation. The white lip had light pink-suffused side lobes, and a dark pink midlobe with purplish pink picotee and yellow and dark purple striations in the throat.
CONCOLOR COLOR GROUP
[59] C. violacea (Concolor) ‘Da. Onildes’
[60] C. violacea (Concolor) ‘Macuxi’
The flowers of C. violacea (Concolor) have consistent darker lavender or lighter purple coloration on all segments. Like the amesiana color group, the typical feature for this color group is a dark purple “V” “gravatinha (anelata)” marking on the lip. Cattleya violacea (Concolor Striata) shows darker lines on the petals and sometimes also on the sepals. Alek Zaslawski reports that their concolor forms came from the Amazonas state and Roraima state. Through a treasure hunt, they acquired an excellent concolor plant in Roraima from a small collector after whom it was named ‘Da. Onildes’. The progeny of the cross ‘Da. Onildes’ × self (Z2700) has bloomed concolor. A darker concolor strain includes C. violacea (Concolor) ‘Macuxi’ with pronounced dark lavender segments. Notice the special “gravatinha” or “anelata” features on this C. violacea (Concolor).
Table 1. Cattleya violacea AOS awards compiled from OrchidPro on March 5, 2025.
JUDGING CATTLEYA VIOLACEA
Considering all these color groups (and the semialba covered in a separate article), it is not surprising that these beauties have captured the attention of growers and judges alike. The standards in flower quality have risen dramatically over the past 30 years through line breeding programs, and awardable plants are now expected to have large flowers with broader and flatter segments. The question of beauty remains in the eye of the beholder, however. In the judging process, it is always important to remember the natural dispositions of the species and recognize the individual personality of the plant on the table.
Cattleya violacea flowers are judged using the AOS general scale in which the points are almost symmetrically distributed to the form (30 points), color (30 points) and other characteristics, such as size, substance and texture, arrangement and floriferousness (40 points). Table 1 summarizes the AOS awards for all color forms of C. violacea. Notice the increased number of awards in the last 15 years, showing the interest in and cultural success with this species. It can also be observed that the average flower count per inflorescence and average natural spread have been inching upward. This does not mean, however, that smaller flowers should not be awarded! Size, after all, constitutes only 10 points on the scale.
As summarized in Table 2, 104 AOS awards given to the species (March 2025) are distributed somewhat equally to tipo and semialba forms with a smaller number of awards to other, rarer color forms. Notice the dominance of AM awards for tipos and semialbas. As with other species, we need to be aware of the fact that the color forms are natural mutations and, as such, their flowers may be smaller. (Even within the tipo group, understand that plants from the Peruvian strain can be smaller, even if likely rounder.) Therefore, the color forms need to be judged on their individual merit and not on how they compare to the tipo cultivars. Such bias can be observed in the alba awards with almost equal distribution of HCC and AM awards.
Improvements in the flower shape in all color forms should be rewarded. Particularly, general flower flatness, an increased petal width (for a rounder flower), a flatter lip and heavier substance (especially in the polyploid cultivars) will indicate advancements in the flower quality, overcoming the much-debated lateral awards
The average flower count is higher for awarded color forms (except alba) than tipos! Note that the averages are calculated for the available data only. Awards from the 1960s do not list flower count or natural spread.
Table 2. C. violacea AOS awards parsed to the individual color forms. Compiled from OrchidPro on March 5, 2025.
Lastly, I have heard judging conversations in which awards have been prevented because “there were already too many previously awarded.” Firstly, the passing of time is important to remember here. Earlier awards reflect standards that we may longer ascribe to and should be understood as such. More importantly, however, there is no such thing as a limit on beauty. If the plant on the judging table exceeds the current standard, it should be recognized regardless of the number of awards previously given to the same species or hybrid. After all, OrchidPro was created to capture the ever-expanding collective memories of beauty.
CONCLUSION
Cattleya violacea is a rare fragrant tropical beauty with a large range of color expressions. In recent years, various line breeding programs have led to significant improvements in flower quality, increased plant availability, and, as a result, price decrease. The AOS OrchidPro statistics show the continuously growing interest in bringing the species to the judging tables. Cattleya violacea, indeed, deserves a prominent status in the genus Cattleya.
My hope is that growers and orchid enthusiasts will be encouraged to include C. violacea in their collections. Provide the plants with bright, warm growing conditions and plenty of water, and you will be on your way to successful culture. Make sure to read the previously published article on the specifics of the species’ culture and see the upcoming paper dedicated to the semialba flamea color group!
Acknowledgments
This article would not be possible without the extensive consultations and help of Alek Zaslawski from AWZ Orchids. Many thanks to Alek Zaslawski, Ron Kaufmann, Leslie Ee and Ben Oliveros for further invaluable insights and comments on the manuscript.
References
Aulisi, C. and E. Foldats. 1989. Monography of Venezuelan Cattleyas and Its Varieties. Caracas, Venezuela: Editorial Torino.
Dunsterville, G.C.K. and E Dunsterville. 1975. Cattleya violacea in Venezuela. Orchid Digest, 39.
Keller, C. Cattleya violacea ‘Muse’. Retrieved on November 30, 2024 from http://orquideas-katia.org/ESP/SALAS/CONFERENCIAS/VIOLACEA.html.
Kojš, J. 2025. Cattleya violacea. The Tropical Queen. An Introduction to the species and its culture. Orchids, 94(2):122–129.
Williams, B.S. 1894. The Orchid Grower’s Manual, Ed. 7, Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper Holloway, London, UK.
Yanes. L.H. 1957. Repico por nuestra Cattleya (“I ring the bell for our Cattleya”). Bulletin of the Orchideology Committee, 2.
Personal communications:
Julien Baruch and Frank Smith (Krull-Smith). January 2025.
Armando Betancourt. March 2025.
Stephen L. Champlin (Floralia). January 2025.
John Clausen. December 2024.
Keith Davis. January 2025.
Ron Kaufmann. March 2024.
Ben Oliveros (Orchid Eros). January 2025.
Rafael Romero (Plantio la Orquidea). January 2025.
Bayard Saraduke. December 2024.
Antonio Schmidt (Bela Vista). December 2024.
Rob Schneider (Odom’s Orchids). December 2024.
Michael Sinn (Canaima Orchids). January 2025
Charles Wilson. December 2024.
— Dr. Juraj Kojš is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where he combines his passion for music and orchids in innovative ways. He is the creator of the Orchid DNA Music project and the founder of the Foundation for Emerging Technologies and Arts, Inc. (FETA), which promotes experimental and interdisciplinary art forms. Dr. Kojš’s works have been commissioned by prestigious organizations such as The Knight Foundation, The Quiet Music Ensemble, Miami Light Project, Meet the Composer, Harvestworks, Miami Theater Center, Miami Live Arts, Deering Estate, and Vizcaya Museum & Gardens. In addition to his musical achievements, Dr. Kojš is an accredited American Orchid Society judge. He is the past president of the Coalition for Orchid Species and a member of the Miami Beach Orchid Society. He chaired the inaugural 2024 Orchids & Arts Festival at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. He has received over 60 awards from the AOS to date. His multifaceted career reflects a unique blend of scientific rigor, artistic creativity, and a deep love for orchids (email j.kojs@miami.edu).
