Laelia flava Lindl. 1839 SUBGENUS Parviflorae SECTION Parviflorae Lindley 1990 Photo by Jay Pfahl
Flower Closeup Photo by © Lourens Grobler
EARLY
Common Name The Yellow Laelia
Flower Size 2.4" [6 cm]
Found in Brazil at elevations of 800 to 1000 meters and is a variable species in flowering time, plant size and shape as well as flower size. It is a warm growing rupicolus lithophyte that appreciates a winter rest from water and fertilizer and has narrowly ovoid pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, elliptic leaf that blooms in the winter to early spring on a racemose, 12 to 20" [30 to 50 cm] long, few to several flowered inflorescence.
Said to be synomonous with L crispata but I have left them apart pending further review. If synomonous then L crispata would take precedence and refer to 2 different color forms.
Synonyms Amalia fulva (Lindl.) Heynh. 1846; Amalia flava (Lindl. ex Heynh.) Heynh. 1846; ; Bletia flava (Lindl.) Rchb.f. 1861; Cattleya flava (Lindl.) Beer 1854; Hoffmannseggella flava (Lindl.) H.G.Jones. 1970; Laelia flava var. micrantha W.Zimm. 1934; Laelia fulva Lindley ex Heyn. 1846
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia flava; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as L flava var aurantiaca; AOS Bulletin Vol 26 No 2 1957 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 11 1958; AOS Bulletin Vol 29 #9 1960 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 9 1961 photo fide; ; AOS Bulletin VOl 30 #10 1961 as L flava var aurantiaca photo fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Orchid Digest Vol 34 #9 1970 drawing fide; Orchid Digest No 38 No 2 1974 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 38 no 4 1974 photo fide; Orchidaceae Brasilienses Band I Pabst & Dungs 1975 as L luicasiana var alba drawing fide; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 10 576 - 632 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1977 photo ok; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 2 1978 photo fide; Orchid Digest vol 45 no 3 1981 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 48 No 1 1984 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 No 7 1985 photo fide; Cattleya and Their Relatives Vol 2 Withner 1990 photo fide; The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb & Launert 1992 photo fide;
Laelia flava Lindl. 1839 var micrantha
This variety differs by being much smaller and yellower flowers than the original species.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 drawing fide; Orchid Digest Vol 45 No 3 1981 photo;
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