Prosthechea citrina/karwinskii untreated #4044 and 4045 (approximately 25 seedlings per flask).

The Species: We have known this species by a variety of names for the genus (Cattleya, Encyclia, Euchile, Prosthecea). It is now thought that several species have been in the trade as citrina. One of them is properly called Prosthecea karwinski and the name citrina is now reserved for a similar species with a much rounder lip that is not widely in cultivation. This flask is from seed from Mexico and the source of the seed cannot say which of these two species will come from this seed. The names may keep changing but the species continues to be highly sought after. What ever you call it, you don't forget the wonderful, citrus fragrance once you have smelled it. It is a pendant plant with distinctive grey-green foliage and a large yellow flower if your culture is right. The flowers on the plants shown here for reference are about 4" wide. It is endemic to Mexico where it grows at elevations from 4300 to 8600 feet. It needs a cooler, drier period in the winter to perform well.

Culture: Like many species from Mexico, this comes from a monsoon climate. It is warm, wet and shady during the summer when rains are normal. In the winter, the trees loose their leaves, the sky clears and the temperatures drop. Learning to mimic these conditions is the key to success. Water and fertilize regularly during the growing season and thenin late fall and winter let the plant dry well between waterings (or just mist to prevent the bulbs from shriveling) and eliminate fertilizer. Summers are shady and winters are much brighter.

Since I can't say for sure what this cross will look like, I show here some of the range possible.