Laelia albida Bateman ex Lindl. 1839 SUBGENUS Laelia SECTION Podolaelia Schlechter
Photo by Jay Pfahl
Photo by Jean Claude George
Photo by Weyman Bussey
Common Name The Albescent Laelia
Flower Size 2" to 3" [5 to 7.5 cm]
Found in western Mexico in oak or oak pine forests at elevations of 1000 to 2000 meters as a medium sized, cool growing miniature epiphtye or lithophyte 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, 4.8 to 24" [12 to 60 cm] long, 2 to 9 flowered racemose inflorescence with closely apressed sheathing bracts all along, arising on a mature pseudobulb and carrying 3 to 10, primrose 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 albida f. sulphurea (Rchb.f.) M.Wolff & O.Gruss 2007; Laelia albida var. brunnea Rchb.f. 1868; Laelia albida var. maryaniae (B.S.Williams) B.S.Williams 1871; Laelia albida var. ochracea Rchb.f. 1868; Laelia albida var. stobartiana Rchb.f. 1877; Laelia albida var. sulphurea Rchb.f. 1884; Laelia albida var. tuckeri Rchb.f. 1868; Laelia candida Lodd. ex W.Baxter 1850 l Laelia discolor A. Rich. & Gal. 1845; Laelia maryaniae B.S.Williams 1862
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Edwards's Bot. Reg. 25(Misc.): 2 Bateman ex Lindl. 1839
Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 3, 3: 23 A.Rich. & Galeotti 1845 as L discolor;
Alph. Aufz. Gew.: 29 Heynh. 1846 Amalia albida
Suppl. Hort. Brit.: 573 Lodd. ex W.H.Baxter 1850 as L candida
Prakt. Stud. Orchid.: 208 Beer 1854 as Cattleya albida;
Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 1: 133 R Warner ex J Dix. 1859 as L albida var labellopurpurea;
Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 428 Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia albida;
Orch.-Grow. Man., ed. 2: 113 B S Williams 1862 as L maryaniae;
Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2:225 Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia albida;
Gard. Chron. 1868: 208 Rchb.f 1868 as L albida var brunnea;
Gard. Chron. 1868: 208 Rchb.f 1868 as L albida var ochracea
Gard. Chron. 1868: 208 Rchb.f 1868 as L albida var tuckeri;
Orch.-Grow. Man., ed. 4: 191 B S Williams 1871 as L albida var maryaniae;
Gard. Chron., n.s., 7: 271 Rchb.f 1877 as L albida var stobatiana;
L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 321 F.Buyss. 1878 as L var superba;
Gard. Chron., n.s., 21: 76 Rchb.f 1884 as L albida var sulphurea;
Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915;
AOS Bulletin Vol 26 No 2 1957 drawing fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 5 1958 drawing fide;
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 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;
The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb & Launert 1992 photo fide;
Laelias In Mexico ORQUIDEA (MEX.) 15. OCTOBER 1997 photo fide;
Australian Orchid Review Vol 72 No 4 2007
Orchid. Atlas: 177 M.Wolff & O.Gruss 2007 as L albida f sulpherea photo;
Orchid Digest Vol 80 #2 2016;
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