cattleya

cat·tle·ya

C0169100 (kăt′lē-ə)n. Any of various tropical American, mostly epiphytic orchids of the genus Cattleya, much hybridized and extensively cultivated for their showy, variously colored flowers.

[New Latin Cattleya, genus name, after William Cattley (died 1832), British patron of botany.]

cattleya

(ˈkætlɪə) n (Plants) any tropical American orchid of the genus Cattleya, cultivated for their purplish-pink or white showy flowers[C19: New Latin, named after William Cattley (died 1832), English botanist]

catt•ley•a

(ˈkæt li ə, kætˈli ə, -ˈleɪ ə)

n., pl. -ley•as. any tropical American orchid of the genus Cattleya, having large, showy flowers. [1820–30; after William Cattley (d. 1832), English botany enthusiast; see -a²]

Thesaurus

Noun

cattleya - any orchid of the genus Cattleya characterized by a three-lobed lip enclosing the column; among the most popular and most extravagantly beautiful orchids knownorchid, orchidaceous plant - any of numerous plants of the orchid family usually having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colorsgenus Cattleya - large and highly valued genus of beautiful tropical American epiphytic or lithophytic orchids; the typical orchids; known in many varieties

cattleya

(kăt`lēə): see orchidorchid,
popular name for members of the Orchidaceae, a family of perennial herbs widely distributed in both hemispheres. The unusually large family (of some 450 genera and an estimated 10,000 to 17,500 species) includes terrestrial, epiphytic (see epiphyte), and saprophytic
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Cattleya

a genus of plants of the family Orchidaceae. There are approximately 60 species, growing on trees and cliffs in the forests of Central and South America. The thickened stems, or pseudobulbs, are either ovoid, fusiform, or cylindric. The pseudobulbs hold reserves of water and nutrients during droughts. They bear one to three leaves and a peduncle with one or several flowers. The perianth has six petal-like structures, arranged in two circles. The interior three are usually larger; the lowest, or the lip, which is often the brightest, is curled into a tube around the column. The lip has a spreading, emarginate lobe with an undulate border. The flowers are usually various shades of violet, pink, and lilac. They are aromatic and measure up to 20–25 cm in diameter. Many species, including autumn cattleya (Cattleya labiatd), C. dowiana, and C. Warscewiczii, are cultivated in greenhouses. Many garden varieties have been created.

cattleya

of Brazil. [Flower Symbolism: WB, 7: 264]See: Flower Or Plant, National

cattleya

cat·tle·ya

cattleya

catt•ley•a

cattleya

cattleya

Cattleya

cattleya

cattleya

Words related to cattleya

noun any orchid of the genus Cattleya characterized by a three-lobed lip enclosing the column

Related Words