Laelia praestans Rchb. f. 1857 SUBGENUS Crispae SECTION Hadrolaelia Schlechter

Photo by Dale and Deni Borders

Another Color Form

Photo by Patricia Harding

Common Name The Outstanding Laelia

Flower Size

Found in southeastern Brazil at elevations of 700 to 900 meters as a warm growing epiphyte that blooms in the spring.

Often given as a synonym of L pumila but it is separable. The easiest diagnostic is the following. This species always has the petals at a right angle to the column while L pumila's petals have a drooping look as the petals are at a greater then 90 degree angle to the column. Other differences include the degree of closure of the petals over the column and the length of the tube of the lip as well as the presence of a "tuft" at the apex of the tip of the central vein of the lip which is only in L pumila.

Synonyms Bletia praestans (Rchb.f.) Rchb.f. 1862; Cattleya praestans (Rchb.f.) Van den Berg 2008; Hadrolaelia praestans (Rchb.f.) Chiron & V.P.Castro 2002; Laelia praestans var. candida L.Linden 1898; Laelia praestans var noblis Lindley 1898; Laelia pumila subsp. praestans (Rchb.f.) Bicalho 1976; Laelia pumila var. praestans (Rchb.f.) H.J.Veitch 1887; Sophronitis praestans (Rchb.f.) Van den Berg & M.W.Chase 2000

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia praestans; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as L pumila var praestans; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 9 1958 as L pumila var praestans drawing ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 11 1958 as L pumila var praestans; AOS Bulletin Vol 37 # 6 1968; Orchid Digest Vol 34 #6 1970 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 37 No 2 1973 photo fide; Orchidaceae Brasilienses Pabst & Dungs Band I 1975 drawing fide; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 10 576 - 632 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1977 as L pumila ssp praestans; AOS Bulletin Vol 47 No 7 1978 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 5 1978 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 44 No 3 1980 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 46 No 2 1982 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 48 No 4 1984 photo fide; Lindleyana Vol 15 No 2 2000 as Sophronitis praestans; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 as Sophronitis praestans photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 79 #6 2010 as Laelia praestans photo fide; Orchidees Du Bresil As Orchideas da Serra Do Castello Vol 3 Chiron & Bolsanello 2013 as Hadrolaelia praestens drawing/photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 83 #4 2014 as Cattleya praestans photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #1 2016 sa Cattleya praestans photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 # 1 2017 as Cattleya praestans photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #9 2017 as Cattleya praestans photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 89 #1 2020 photo fide