Cattleya skinneri by Reg McIlwain What has happened to the Cattleya species we used to see in abundance on display  years ago. Probably the great variety of species that have become available could be  one reason, or growers consider they take up too much room on their benches. This  is the case most often with Cymbidiums as most plants take up a square meter. Back  to my plant of Catleya. skinneri. This plant purchased in 1999 as a seedling has been  a good grower to reach specimen size in 5 years. Every few days I rotate the plant a  quarter of a turn clockwise when it is in growth to give it a more symmetrical look.  The new style squat 300mm pots are extra special for drainage and specimen culture.  This plant is known as semi-alba, although it has a magenta blob in the back of the  labellum. The mixture it grows in is based on perlite and blue metal with slow  release fertilizer. This is the national flower of Costa Rica and it also comes in  various shades of pink. I hope to see more species Cattleyas and allied genera on the  benches in the future. Growing Oncidium species in Brisbane Environmental Conditions for Vandaceous Orchids Adelopetalum bracteatum Aerangis modesta Ancistrochilus rothschildianus Ascocentrum christensonianum Bulbophyllum annandalei   Bulbophyllum dissitiflorum Bulbophyllum hamelinii  Bulbophyllum lasiochilum Bulbophyllum lobbii Bulbophyllum schillerianum Cattleya loddigesii Cattleya skinneri Coelia triptera Cymbidium erythraeum More Articles