CattNerd: A Living Piece of Cattleya History
The Story of Sl. Gratrixiae 'Herbrita' and the Crothers Collection
By David Off, CattNerd at Waldor Orchids
Some orchids catch your attention because of their flowers. Others become even more interesting when you discover the history behind them.
Sl. Gratrixiae 'Herbrita' is both.
This compact Cattleya represents more than 120 years of orchid breeding history. This particular clone also connects us to Herb and Rita Crothers and their remarkable California orchid collection.
It is the kind of plant that reminds me why preserving old Cattleyas matters.
It All Started in 1901
Cattleya Gratrixiae was registered by Charlesworth Ltd. in 1901.
It is the primary hybrid:
C. tenebrosa × C. coccinea
Older orchid literature lists the parents as Laelia tenebrosa × Sophronitis coccinea, which is why generations of growers knew the hybrid as Sophrolaelia Gratrixiae, or Sl. Gratrixiae.
The two parents bring very different qualities to the cross.
C. tenebrosa is a larger-growing Brazilian species known for its bronze, copper and rich brown coloration.
C. coccinea, formerly Sophronitis coccinea, is a much smaller-growing species famous for its brilliant scarlet-red flowers.
Combining the two gave breeders an opportunity to bring the compact growth and intense coloration associated with Sophronitis into a Cattleya-type flower.
Today, we talk about compact and miniature Cattleyas all the time. Gratrixiae reminds us that orchid breeders were already exploring those possibilities more than a century ago.
CattNerd Note: Gratrixiae was registered in 1901. Compact Cattleya breeding has much deeper roots than many growers realize.
Meet 'Herbrita'
The particular plant we're growing is the named clone:
Sl. Gratrixiae 'Herbrita'
That cultivar name is important.
When two orchids are crossed, the resulting seedlings are siblings. They share the same grex name, but genetically they are individual plants. Their flowers, color, size and growth can all vary.
When a particular seedling is considered worth preserving, it can be given a cultivar name and propagated vegetatively.
Every true division of Gratrixiae 'Herbrita' is therefore a continuation of that same original individual.
And that's where this plant's history gets especially interesting.
Meet Herb and Rita Crothers
The name 'Herbrita' comes from Herbert W. "Herb" Crothers and his wife, Rita Crothers.
HERB + RITA = HERBRITA
Herb and Rita became interested in orchids while living in the Pacific Northwest. They eventually moved to Vista, California, where they developed an impressive collection of orchid species and hybrids.
Historical accounts describe their property as having a substantial greenhouse as well as a shade-covered growing area where Cymbidiums and other orchids could take advantage of Southern California's favorable climate.
But the Crothers weren't simply collectors.
Their orchids regularly appeared in judging during the 1950s and 1960s, and the cultivar name 'Herbrita' appears repeatedly in historical orchid award records.
Plants from their collection carrying the name included:
Cattleya Bob Betts 'Herbrita'
Cattleya Bow Bells 'Herbrita'
Cattleya Iris 'Herbrita'
Slc. Copenhagen 'Herbrita'
Phalaenopsis Gloriosa 'Herbrita'
Oncidium Kalihi 'Herbrita'
And those are only a few examples.
'Herbrita' became a signature name associated with plants selected from the Crothers collection.
Rita's Place in Orchid History
Rita Crothers also contributed to the orchid world far beyond her own greenhouse.
She became deeply involved with the Orchid Digest Corporation's judging program, serving as Awards Coordinator and later becoming Judging Chairman in 1967.
Historical accounts credit Rita with helping improve procedures for recording and reporting orchid awards during an important period in the development of organized orchid judging in the United States.
Herb and Rita were also involved with Cattleya breeding. Their collection contained important breeding plants, and material from those plants was shared and used in breeding programs.
Rita made Cattleya crosses herself as well.
They weren't simply growing orchids.
They were selecting, breeding, judging and preserving them.
The Crothers Connection to Gratrixiae
We also know that Gratrixiae was represented in the Crothers collection.
In 1966, Sl. Gratrixiae 'Crothers' was exhibited by H. W. Crothers of Vista, California and received an:
HCC/AOS, 76 points
Our Sl. Gratrixiae 'Herbrita' comes from the Crothers collection and carries the cultivar name associated with Herb and Rita.
For me, knowing that history changes the way you look at the plant.
This isn't simply another compact Cattleya on the bench. It is a clone connected to people who were actively involved in American orchid growing, breeding and judging generations ago.
Small Plant, Big Influence
Don't let Gratrixiae's compact size fool you.
Historical descriptions portray it as a relatively small plant capable of producing surprisingly large flowers.
Orchid breeder Frank Fordyce described Gratrixiae at around six inches tall, producing brilliant copper-colored flowers approximately 3½ to 4 inches across.
The hybrid also proved useful as a breeding parent.
One historical review credits Gratrixiae with:
72 first-generation offspring
and approximately
290 total progeny
For a hybrid registered in 1901, that's quite a legacy.
Gratrixiae Is Still Part of Waldor
Here's another part of this story I really enjoy.
We aren't only preserving Gratrixiae 'Herbrita' at Waldor Orchids. We're still growing plants carrying Gratrixiae genetics today.
One example is:
Sl. Gratrixiae 'Rotor' HCC/AOS × C. violacea 'Dark Star' AM/AOS
'Rotor' is another recognized Gratrixiae clone. It received an HCC/AOS of 79 points in 1966, when it was exhibited by Fred A. Stewart, Inc. in California.
More than 120 years after the original hybrid was registered, Gratrixiae is still finding its way into Cattleya collections and breeding.
That says something about the staying power of the original cross.
Why I Love the Old Ones
There is always something exciting about seeing a brand-new Cattleya hybrid flower for the first time.
But I have just as much appreciation for the old ones.
When an orchid is propagated by division, we're not recreating that clone. We're continuing it.
That means a plant growing in our greenhouse today can be genetically the same individual that was valued and preserved by growers decades ago.
Sl. Gratrixiae 'Herbrita' connects a hybrid registered in 1901 with Herb and Rita Crothers and their California orchid collection, and ultimately with our greenhouse here at Waldor Orchids today.
Think about that journey.
How many growers have cared for this clone?
How many times has it been divided?
How many greenhouses has it lived in?
We may never know every stop along the way.
But the plant is still here.
And that's one of the things I love most about orchids.
They're not just plants. Sometimes they're living pieces of history.
David Off
CattNerd at Waldor Orchids
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