Maikai mayumi
This delightfully compact plant produces many flowers, especially in December/January, but also at other times of the year. Bc. Stands for Brassocattleya and Maikai is a hybrid, a cross between Brassavola nodosa?a beautiful white flowering plant called 'lady of the night' for its fragrance released in the evening, and Cattleya bowringiana.
Both these parent plants are species. That is, both are found naturally occurring in the wild.
Maikai inherited a number of characteristics from its Brassavola nodosa parent. The leaves are narrow, almost round in cross section and the several flowers on each spike are about 3 or so inches across, star shaped with narrow sepals and petals and a big, flared lip so characteristic of B. nodosa. The spots in the throat, and sometimes on the petals also come from B. nodosa. From the Cattleya bowringiana parent comes the lavender-pink color. The flowers are also fragrant at night, with a jasmine aroma much like B. nodosa.
There are several varieties of this plant but the two most distinct ones are: Bc. Maikai ?Mayumi' and Bc. Maikai ?Louise.' I have heard, and read in several sources, that while the flowers of ?Mayumi' tend to fade to a lighter color after several days, those of ?Louise' keep their color better and have more spots. Either one (or both) would be excellent additions to a collection. They do prefer bright light. I grow mine in the pool cage.
I purchased my Bc. Maikai ?Mayumi' from Jade Orchids in September, 2008. I've kept it growing in lava rock in a 6-nch pot. It produced four multi-flowered spikes and the first flower opened in early December, 2008. I cut the last flower off in the last week of February 2009. This December (2009) the same plant in the same pot produced 15 multi-flowered spikes! A bright addition to the Christmas Season and a very rewarding plant.
The Naples Orchid Society meets monthly and holds an annual show and sale. For more information on its meetings and classes, see its Web site, www.naplesorchidsociety.org