Laelia albida Bateman ex Lindl. 1839 SUBGENUS Laelia SECTION 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, conduplicate below into the clasping base leaves 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 pseudobulb 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, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia albida; AOS Bulletin Vol 26 No 2 1957 drawing; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 5 1958 drawing; AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 9 1961; Die Orchideen #10 37-40a tafel 10 Rudolph Schlechter 1971 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 1 1978 photo fide; Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 McVaugh 1985; Cattleya and Their Relatives Vol 2 Withner 1990 photo/drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum I Plate 50 Hagsater & Salazar 1990 drawing fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 72 No 4 2007 photo;

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