Cattleya mossiae semi-alba ‘H&R’

Cattleya mossiae semi-alba ‘H&R’ has long been on my list, and I was recently lucky enough to acquire this one–

He was in bud when I bought him–I pretty much left him alone but kept an eye on him and the flowers opened up beautifully–They are almost the size of my hand–

The scent is deliciously floral–And the colors are fantastic in the lip–

C. mossiae is a species native to Venezuela–This is the semi-alba form–

Semi-alba orchids are white with a colored lip–The typical variety of C. mossiae is actually a lavender/pinkish color–The semi-alba form occurs naturally, but is uncommon–

Looking up into the lip to see the column–I believe the ‘H&R’ denotes the orchid nursery that sold this particular Semi-alba Mossiae–

Side view–The lip is amazing inside and out–

An absolute masterpiece of nature–