Laelia anceps Lindley 1835 SUBGENUS Laelia SECTION Podolaelia Photo by © Eric Hunt and His Orchid Website
Plant in situ in Mexico Photo courtesy of Weyman Bussey.


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Common Name Two-edged Laelia in Mexico El Toro
Flower Size 2 1/2 to 4" [6.25 to 10 cm]
This is a medium sized, hot to warm growing species from Mexico and Honduras and is found from altitudes of 500-1500 meters as an epiphyte in coffee plantations, pastures, osk and oak and pine forests with a solitary leaf in tall scattered oaks, or on rocks below them or in pastures and coffee plantations, often in full sunlight, with ovate-oblong, compressed, edges acute, flattened-sides ribbed pseudobulbs carrying 1 or rarely 2, apical, oblong-lanceolate, leathery, acute leaves that is an autumn to spring blooming plant with 3 to 6 scented, long-lasting flowers in a terminal cluster, per 2 to 4' [60 to 120 cm] long, alternately sheathed inflorescence, that needs a dry winter rest.
This is a truly great hardy drought-tolerant species from Easten Mexico with fantastic flowers, L. anceps is a Christmas bloomer, angular 4" bulbs with a solitary thick dark green 8" leaf, long 2 ft. spikes each with clusters of 2 to 5 flowers, the very showy 4" to 5" blooms are pale lavender with an intense crimson lip that has a yellow/red striped center, very easy to grow and fragrant, does very well outdoors down to 32 F.
Synonyms Amalia anceps (Lindl.) Heynh. 1846 ; Amalias anceps [Lindley] Hoffmannsegg 1842; Bletia anceps [Lindley] Rchb.f 1863; Cattleya anceps [Lindley]Beer 1854; Laelia barkeriana Knowles & Westc. 1837;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia anceps; AOS Bulletin Vol 26 No 2 1957 drawing; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 9 1958 drawing; AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 9 1961; AOS Bulletin Vol 49 No 5 1979; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 1987 photo; Cattleya and Their Relatives Vol 2 Withner 1990; AOS Bulletin Vol 62 No 2 1993 photo; AOS Bulletin No 63 No 11 1994 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 66 No 12 1997 photo; Australian Orchid Review Vol 65 No 5 2000 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 70 No 6 2001 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 71 No 6 2002 photo ; Icones Orchidacearum 5 - 6 Orchids of Mexico Part 2 - 3 Plate 597 Hagsater & Soto 2002; Australian Orchid Review Vol 69 No 4 2004 photo; Australian Orchid Review Vol 71 No 4 2006 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 4 2006 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 11 2008 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 12 2008 photo
Laelia anceps Lindley 1836 var alba 1879
Photo courtesy of Wilma Braga
An albino form of the flower.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
AOS Bulletin Vol56 No 5 1987 drawing; Australian Orchid Review Vol 73 No 4 2008 photo;
Laelia anceps var barkerriana Lindley
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
AOS Bulletin Vol 50 No 5 1981 drawing; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 5 1987 drawing;
Laelia anceps Lindley 1836 var. chamberlainiana Lindley 1895
Laelia anceps Lindley 1836 var coerula

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A blue colored form of the previous species.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
AOS Bulletin Vol 39 No 5 1970;
Laelia anceps var. dawsonii J. Anderson 1865
Photo by © Lourens Grobler
Laelia anceps has been divided into 2 major groups Laelia anceps var anceps which are found on the eastern side of Mexico and L. anceps var dawsonii which are found in the western half of Mexico. .
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 5 1987 drawing; Australian Orchid Review Vol 73 No 4 2008 photo; Icones Orchidacearum fascile 10 plate 1035 Hagsater & Soto 2008
Laelia anceps var. dawsonii J. Anderson 1865 subvar. Chialapensis
Plant in situ near the town of Chilapa, Guerrero at 5000 ft elevation, exactly.
Flowers in situ same as previous Photo courtesy of Weyman Bussey.
This particular subvariety has been called L anceps var Guerrero
Synonyms Laelia anceps fo. chilapensis Soto Arenas 1993; Laelia anceps fo. dawsonii (J. Anderson) Soto Arenas 1993; Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii Rolfe 1922; Laelia anceps subsp. sanderiana (Rchb.f.) Rolfe 1922; Laelia anceps subsp. schroederiana (Rchb.f.) Rolfe 1922; Laelia anceps var. hallydayana O'Brien 1894; Laelia anceps var. sanderiana Rchb.f. 1887; Laelia anceps var. schroederiana Rchb.f. 1885; Laelia dawsoni Crawshay 1902; Laelia sanderiana (Rchb.f.) Crawshay 1902; Laelia hallidayana (O'Brien) Crawshay 1902; Laelia schroederae Crawshay 1902; Laelia schroederiana (Rchb.f.) Crawshay 1902
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 5 - 6 Orchids of Mexico Part 2 - 3 Plate 597 Hagsater & Soto 2002; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 7 2005 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 12 2008 photo; Icones Orchidacearum fascile 10 plate 1035 Hagsater & Soto 2008
Laelia anceps Lindley 1836 var hillii
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 5 1987 drawing;
Laelia anceps Lindley 1836 var lineata
Laelia anceps Lindley 1836 var roeblingiana
Another Color Variety
Laelia anceps Lindley 1836 var semi-alba
Laelia anceps var. veitchiana Rchb. f.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
AOS Bulletin Vol56 No 5 1987 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 65 No 5 1996 photo cover; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 12 2008 photo
Laelia anceps var. vestalis 'Figment' AM/AOS
Laelia anceps var. williamsianum
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 5 1987 photo;
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