Laelia albida Bateman ex Lindl. 1839 subgen Laelia sec Podolaelia Schlechter Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl

Color Form Photo courtesy of Jean Claude George

Splash petal flower variety Photo Courtesy of Weyman Bussey

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Common Name Albescent Laelia

Flower Size 2" to 3" [5 to 7.5 cm]

A western Mexican, medium sized, cold to warm growing miniature epiphtye or lithophyte found in oak or oak pine forests at elevations of 1000 to 2000 meters, with clustered, conical-ovoid pseudobulbs that wrinkle with age partially enveloped basally by a few scarious, triangular sheaths, carrying 2 to 3, apical, linear-ensiform, coriaceous, somewhat fleshy, dark green, condulicate below into the clasping base leaves found in dry oak forests at elevations of 1300 to 3000 meters that blooms in the fall and winter on a apical, erect to arching, slender, 5 to 24" [12 to 60 cm] long, few to several [2 to 9] flowered raceme with closely apressed sheathing bracts all along, and arising on a mature psuedobulb with 3 to 10, scented flowers. This species requires a winter dormancy with cool nights and bright light.

Synonyms Amalia albida (Bateman ex Lindl.) Heynh. 1846; Bletia albida Rchb.f 1862; Cattleya albida Beer 1854; Laelia candida Lodd. ex W.Baxter 1850 l Laelia discolor A. Rich. & Gal. 1845

References W3 Tropicos [http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html] , Kew Monocot list [ http://www.kew.org/wcsp/home.do ], IPNI [ http://www.us.ipni.org/ipni/plantsearch?request_type=search&output_format=query&ret_defaults=on Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 McVaugh 1985; Icones Orchidacearum I Plate 50 Hagsater & Salazar 1990