Cattleya-- is a genus of approximately 53 species of orchids from Mexico to tropical South America. The species was named in 1824 by John Lindley after William Cattley, who received and successfully cultivated specimens of Cattleya labiata that were used as packing material in a shipment of other orchids. They are widely known for their large, showy flowers, and were used extensively in hybridization for the cut-flower trade until quite recently. This genus and the numerous hybrids come close, through their beauty, to the idealized picture we have of the orchids. The flowers of the hybrids can vary in size from 5 cm to 15 cm or more. They occur in all colors except blue and black (there are no blue or black orchids of any kind). The genus is divided into two groups :  * bifoliate Cattleyas, occurring in Mexico and Brazil. Thwo broad leaves grow from each pseudobulb  * monofoliate Cattleyas, occurring in Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. There is only one, narrower and more erect leaf originating from each pseudobulb. The typical flower has three rather narrow petals : two are fringed, the third is the conspicuous lip with a fringed margin and various markings and specks. At the base, the fringed 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. Cattleya orchids are slow-growing, taking 5-7 years or more to flower from seed. Most produce relatively few, large flowers at maturity. As a result, they have been replaced in the cut flower trade with faster-growing, more floriferous genera, such as hybrid cymbidiums and dendrobiums, among others. Culture of these plants is relatively straightforward for orchids, and they are considered by many to be the archetypical epiphytic "orchid" in that they require well-drained media, frequent wet/dry cycles, and good air circulation. Members of this genus have been in cultivation for almost two hundred years with varying levels of success. They were very popular in the early 20th century.