IOSPE PHOTOS

Laelia furfuracea Lindl. 1839 SUBGENUS Laelia SECTION Podolaelia Schlechter

Photo by Weyman Bussey.

Flower Closeup

Photo by © Lourens Grobler.

TYPE Drawing

TYPE Drawing by © Lindley.

to MID

Common Name Scurfy Laelia or in Mexico - La Monjita - Lirio de San Franscisco - Flor de Nochebuena

Flower Size 2 to 3" [5 to 8 cm]

Found in Oaxaca state of southern Mexico on the rough bark of scrubby oaks at elevations of 2100 to 3000 meters as a cold growing, mini-miniature to medium sized epiphyte with a conic-ovoid, 3 noded, slightly ribbed pseudobulb carrying a solitary [rarely 2], apical, erect, lanceolate, acute, fleshy leaf, that blooms in the fall to mid winter on a slender, short to 12" [15 to 30 cm], arching raceme, long-lived, subdistichous, 3 to 5 flowered inflorescence with broadly amplexicaul, ovate-triangular, acute, carinate, scarious, whitish brown, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrrying fragrant, color variable flowers.

This species needs a cork or treefern mount, high humidity year round but with a decided winter rest with bright light after the growth has matured.

Synonyms Amalia furfuracea (Lindl.) Heynh, 1846; Bletia furfuracea Rchb.f 1861; Cattleya furfuracea Beer 1854; Laelia autumnalis var. furfuracea [Lindley] Rolfe

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Edwards's Bot. Reg. 25: t. 26 Lindley 1839;

* Edwards's Bot. Reg. 25: t. 26 Lindley 1839 drawing fide;

Alph. Aufz. Gew.: 29 Heynh 1846 as Amalia furfuracea;

Prakt. Stud. Orchid.: 210 Beer 1854 as Cattleya furfuracea

Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 428 Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia furfuracea;

Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2:56 Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia furfuracea;

Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915;

AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 5 1958 drawing;

AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 9 1961;

Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965;

Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 10 576 - 632 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1977;