About Cattleya maxima Lindl.
Cattleya maxima Lindl. is an epiphytic herb that produces club-shaped pseudobulbs. Pseudobulbs can reach up to 39 cm in height or grow taller, and each pseudobulb bears a single leaf at its top; the combined total height of the pseudobulb and leaf is approximately 61 cm. The leaf is oblong or broadly oblong, rounded at the apex, light green, thick and fleshy, and can grow up to 35 cm long and up to 6 cm wide. The inflorescence stem reaches up to 30 cm in length, and holds 3 to 6 flowers for the upland variety, or 12 to 15 flowers for the lowland variety. Open flowers measure 12 to 15 cm across. Its sepals and petals are colored lilac or pale rose; the lip, or labellum, is marked with dark purple veins and has a yellow patch in its center. The dorsal sepal is narrowly elliptic, while the lateral sepals are elliptic lanceolate. The petals are elliptic with wavy margins. The lip is folded to form a tube, and its front margin is curly and wavy. The column is slender and arched. This species grows as an epiphyte on trees in dry forests, at elevations ranging from 100 to 1800 meters. Its natural range extends from Ecuador to Peru. The upland variety of this species can also be found growing on rocky slopes.
