FFF188 - CATTLEYA ORCHID

Perhaps no other orchid surpasses the Cattleya in popularity amongst orchid fanciers around the world. And it is the Cattleya which means "orchid" to the lay person, if they are asked to think about orchid types. It is the Cattleya which has been the mainspring of the orchid industry and it is the Cattleya which has done most to stimulate interest in orchid growing as a hobby.

Cattleya is a genus of 113 species of orchids from Costa Rica and the Lesser Antilles south to Argentina. The genus was named in 1824 by John Lindley after William Cattley who received and was the first to bloom a specimen of Cattleya labiata. William Swainson had discovered the new plant in Pernambuco, Brazil, in 1817 and shipped to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens for identification. Swainson requested that a few plants be later sent to Cattley, who was able to bloom one a full year before the plants in Glasgow.

These orchids are widely known for their large, showy flowers, and were used extensively in hybridisation for the cut-flower trade until the 1980s when pot plants became more popular. The flowers of the hybrids can vary in size from 5 cm to 15 cm or more. They occur in all colours except true blue and black. Many of these species and hybrids are very fragrant. The specimen below is a Cattleya mossiae hybrid and is fragrant.

The typical flower has three rather narrow sepals and three usually broader petals: two petals are similar to each other, and the third is the quite different conspicuous lip, featuring various markings and specks and an often frilly margin. At the base, the margins are folded into a tube. Each flower stalk originates from a pseudobulb. The number of flowers varies; it can be just one or two, or sometimes up to ten.

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FFF188

1.	WATTLE	15.	Mina fotostunder	29.	ann 3	43.	HoodPhoto OR-USA
2.	NARCISSUS	16.	Hyde Xtra	30.	Donna, Finland	44.	bij jen
3.	CLIVIA	17.	Rose Garden Malevik	31.	Polianthus	45.	la vita
4.	VIOLA	18.	in the garden {winter}	32.	Moni	46.	Yellow and blue arrangement
5.	Aletta - Nowathome	19.	Sara Chapman, Seattle USA	33.	CORNFLOWER	47.	Annie (bien tomber)
6.	BirgittaB	20.	Sara Chapman #2	34.	Pam - Hosta	48.	RLUPhoto
7.	Tom The Backroads Traveller	21.	Sara Chapman #3	35.	Heidrun	49.	orchid (Japan)
8.	Katarina - Sweden	22.	Andrea, Pure Oxy Gen	36.	PIPPA	50.	HoodPhoto OR-USA
9.	Abrianna	23.	Dekotraum - Austria	37.	a spirit of simplicity	51.	Aquariann's Zinnias
10.	Ingmarie We/Refugium	24.	Lea's Menagerie	38.	hapzydeco	52.	veredit
11.	Jesh StG	25.	Frauke { it's me! } | Germany	39.	Zauberpalme	53.	Käthe
12.	bij jen	26.	photographing New Zealand	40.	fabol	54.	Zauberpalme
13.	Dekkotraum - Austria	27.	JULIA [mammilade]	41.	Dawn	55.	Käthe
14.	Romi	28.	ann 3	42.	Anne Seltmann	56.	WoollyMuses

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FFF187 - JAPONICA

Chaenomeles japonica is a species of Japanese Quince in the Rosaceae family. It is a thorny deciduous shrub that is commonly cultivated. It is shorter than another commonly cultivated species C. speciosa, growing to only about 1 m in height. The fruit is called Kusa-boke (草木瓜) in Japanese. Chaenomeles japonica is also popularly grown in bonsai.

It is best known for its colourful spring flowers of red, white or pink. It produces apple-shaped fruit that are a golden-yellow colour containing red-brown seeds. The fruit is edible, but hard and astringent-tasting, unless bletted. The fruit is occasionally used in jelly and pie making as an inferior substitute for its cousin, the true quince, Cydonia oblonga.

Join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below, and please leave a comment once you have done so.

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FFF187

1.	WEEPING CHERRY	13.	Dekotraum - Austria	25.	sweet alice	37.	Kebo
2.	GERANIUM	14.	JULIA [ mammilade ]	26.	PIPPA	38.	Alexa T
3.	LAST ROSE	15.	WoollyMuses	27.	Maribels Garden	39.	A couple of roses
4.	CHINESE ASTERS	16.	NatureFootstep	28.	CLEMATIS	40.	JULIA [ mammilade ]
5.	Jutta K. Deutschland	17.	Romi	29.	a spirit of simplicity	41.	Rose Garden Malevik
6.	Abrianna	18.	orchid(Japan)	30.	bij jen	42.	fotography by felicia
7.	Katarina - Sweden	19.	niwibo - life is so beautiful	31.	Heidrun - Germany	43.	Villroses hage
8.	Ingmarie We/Refugium	20.	Dekotraum - Austria	32.	Liz Needle	44.	veredit
9.	Tom The Backroads Traveller	21.	lemapi: italy	33.	Papaver Somniferum	45.	A Guide to Northeastern Gardening
10.	Aletta - Nowathome	22.	Glückszauber - Germany	34.	Dawn	46.	Annie (bien tomber)
11.	Jesh StG	23.	Sara Chapman, Seattle USA	35.	Anne Seltmann	47.	Zauberpalme
12.	Dekotraum - Austria	24.	Sara Chapman #2	36.	Maboe	48.	ann nz

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FFF186 - WILLOW-LEAF WATTLE

Acacia iteaphylla (F.Muell. ex Benth.) occurs naturally in South Australia extending from the Flinders Ranges across to the Gawler Ranges and the Eyre Peninsula. Commonly called Willow-leaf Wattle, this shapely decorative shrub is hardy and fast growing and flowers intermittently throughout the year with a peak flowering period in spring. It is versatile in its habit growing to a height of 2-4 m with some forms becoming upright, whilst others are pendulous and bushy.

The slender phyllodes of A. iteaphylla are from 50 -100 mm long and are broadly linear with a small gland at the base. They are blue-green in colour and arranged alternately, almost at right angles to the stems. The perfumed flower heads are produced in clusters of pale yellow balls which contrast pleasingly with the foliage. The buds are attractively enclosed by conspicuous pale, brown-tipped bracts. The flowers are followed by masses of flattened blue-green seed pods which become brown when mature.

A low growing form of A. iteaphylla has been recognised. It differs from other known forms in having low arching, slightly pendulous branches and grows to 0.5 m high by 4 m across. This plant, which originated as a variant in a batch of seedlings, has been registered as the cultivar Acacia 'Parsons Cascade'. To retain its low spreading growth habit the cultivar should be propagated only from cuttings as it will not necessarily breed true from seed.

Acacia iteaphylla grows best in a well drained sunny position. It is moderately frost tolerant and moderately salt tolerant. It can be propagated from cuttings taken between February and April. Seed germinates readily but should be scarified or treated with boiling water before sowing. Light pruning throughout the development of the plant will keep it vigorous and encourage bushiness. An application of a complete fertiliser in spring and a slow release fertiliser in autumn is also recommended.

Pests noted on A. iteaphylla are the acacia bug, which rasps the leaf tissue causing brown lesions to appear on leaves and stems, and scale insects. Chemical control of acacia bug is difficult as the insect is usually no longer present when the damage is noticed. Affected parts of the plant should be pruned out. Scale insects may be controlled by chemical means but low toxicity products should be selected. Consult a local horticultural specialist for advice.

Join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below, and please leave a comment once you have done so. If you take part in the meme, please show an active link back to this site on your own blog post!

FFF186

1.	Abrianna	14.	orchid (Japan)	27.	Frauke / it's me! }	40.	JULIA [ mammilade ]
2.	ECHIUM	15.	Ulla Laiho	28.	lemapi, italy	41.	Honolulu Cloudia
3.	ALGERIAN IRIS	16.	Dekotraum - Austria	29.	a spirit of simplicity	42.	Maribels Garden
4.	CASTOR	17.	Sara Chapman, Seattle USA	30.	WoollyMuses	43.	Lenas Trädgårdsrum
5.	ALYSSUM	18.	Sara Chapman #2	31.	bij jen	44.	Annie (bien tomber)
6.	HEIDRUN	19.	Sara Chapman #3	32.	hapzydeco	45.	Regina
7.	Jesh StG	20.	Sara Chapman #4	33.	Dawn	46.	felix-traumland
8.	Tom The Backroads Traveller	21.	Anne Seltmann	34.	la vita	47.	Rose Garden Malevik
9.	Romi	22.	Glückszauber - Germany (birthday party flowers)	35.	fabol	48.	veredit
10.	Aletta - Nowathome	23.	Kebo, Italy	36.	ExplorationVacation	49.	ann nz
11.	JULIA [ mammilade ]	24.	Sara Chapman #5	37.	Gartendrossel	50.	Zauberpalme Forget me not!
12.	Mina fotostunder	25.	Heidi	38.	Andy
13.	Poppy fields again	26.	Synnöve	39.	Julianne Victoria

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FFF185 - DRYANDRA

Banksia ser. Dryandra is a series of 94 species of shrub to small tree in the plant genus Banksia. It was considered a separate genus named Dryandra until early 2007, when it was merged into Banksia on the basis of extensive molecular and morphological evidence that Banksia was paraphyletic with respect to Dryandra.

They are found only in the southwestern corner of Western Australia. They have never been popular among gardeners among the rest of Australia due to the plants' dislike of the humid and subtropical conditions which dominate the east coast. Endemic to Western Australia, Dryandra occurs virtually throughout the South West Botanic Province, and also, to a much lesser degree, in southwest parts of the Eremaean Province.

The series was named in honour of Swedish botanist Jonas C. Dryander. They are arguably among the most attractive and showy of all members of Proteaceae. Banksia ser. Dryandra species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the Dryandra Moth.

Join me for Floral Friday Fotos by linking your flower photos below, and please leave a comment once you have done so.

If you take part in the meme, please show an active link back to this site on your own blog post!

FFF185

1.	GLADIOLUS	15.	Debbie at Travel with Intent	29.	Sara Chapman #3	43.	Eva
2.	HAKEA	16.	Heidrun	30.	Sara Chapman #4	44.	This is good enough
3.	CORREA	17.	Romi	31.	Frauke { it's me! } | Germany	45.	Cloudia Honolulu
4.	RED VALERIAN	18.	Gunilla	32.	Jutta K. Deutschland	46.	Ingmarie We/Refugium
5.	Ela	19.	Ulla Laiho	33.	Synnöve	47.	Annie (bien tomber)
6.	Abrianna	20.	Julianne Victoria	34.	Maribels Garden	48.	Rose Garden Malevik
7.	Tom The Backroads Traveller	21.	Andrea, Pure Oxy Gen	35.	Zauberpalme	49.	ann nz
8.	NatureFootstep Photo	22.	orchid(Japan)	36.	a spirit of simplicity	50.	ann
9.	Julia [ mammilade ]	23.	Mascha	37.	Sidewalk Shoes	51.	WATERLILIES
10.	Simfonia florilor	24.	Anne Seltmann	38.	Christa, USA	52.	veredit
11.	Regina	25.	lemapi, italy	39.	bij jen	53.	Zauberpalme
12.	Felix-traumland	26.	kebo, Italy	40.	Liz Needle	54.	promocia (Sweden)
13.	Jesh StG	27.	Sara Chapman, Seattle USA	41.	hapzydeco	55.	WoollyMuses
14.	Katarina - Sweden	28.	Sara Chapman #2	42.	Dawn

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