Laelia aurea A. V. Navarro 1990
Photo by © Weyman Bussey
Photo by © Lourens Grobler
Common Name or Meaning The Golden Laelia
Flower Size 2" [5 cm]
Found in Durango, Sinaloa and Nayarit states of Mexico at elevations around 200 meters as a small to medium sized, hot growing epiphyte with clustereed, reclining, partially one above the other, one internode, compressed, sub-orbicular, ovate to elliptic, green often suffused with purple, smooth becoming rugose with age pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, articulate, coriaceous, rigid, oblong-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, lightly carinate dorsally, the apex bilobed with a small central mucro, basally conduplicate leaf that blooms in the fall on a terminal, racemose, pedunculate, to 12" [30 cm] long, slightly compressed, basally with 2 conduplicate, imbricate bracts, 6 to 9 noded above, each node enveloped by a tubular, acute, appressed bract, 4 to 16" [10 to 40 cm] long overall, rachis compact, sub-umbelliform, successively 4 to 16 flowered inflorescence with extended, triangular ovate, obtuse to infrequently acute to acuminate, lightly concave, scarious floral bracts and carrying eventually simultaneous, resupinate, fragrant flowers.
Formerly known as a variety of L rubescens, but was given species status in 1990.
Synonyms Encabarcenia aurea (A.V.Navarro) Archila & Szlach. 2014 publ. 2015; Laelia rubescens var. aurea (A.V.Navarro) M.Wolff & O.Gruss 2007; Schomburgkia aurea (A.V.Navarro) Peraza & Carnevali 2016
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Orquídea (Mexico City). 7(4): 1980 as L rubescens var aurea photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 51 No 11 1982 as L rubescens var aurea photo fide;
* ORQUIDEA (MEX.) 12(1). Navarro 1990 drawing/photo fide;
Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 2 Withner 1990 as L rubescens var aurea photo fide;
Laelias In Mexico ORQUIDEA (MEX.) 15. OCTOBER 1997 photo/drawing fide;
Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 42 - 43 pg 2626 - 2762 Brieger 2001;
Orchid. Atlas: 183 M Wolff & O Gruss 2007 as L rubescens var aurea;
AOS Bulletin Vol 81 #10 2012 photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 82 #2 2013 photo fide;
Revista Guatemalensis 17: 26 Archola & Szlach 2014 publ. 2015 as Encabarcenia aurea;
Taxon 65: 1258 Peraza & Carnevali 2016 as Schomburgkia aurea;
AOS Bulletin Vol 86 # 1 2017 photo fide;
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