Victory and defeat in the cultivation of plants of the Cattleya Alliance.
Laelia gouldiana
Published Wednesday, December 21, 2005 by Damon | E-mail this post 
Laelia gouldiana is perhaps one of the most strikingly colored members of the cattleya alliance. Four to ten brilliantly shaded star shaped flowers emerge at the end of a long flower spike that grows from the apex of cigar shaped bulbs. This species is closely related to Laelia anceps and Laelia autumnalis; the floral and vegetative growth habits are very similar between these three species. L. gouldiana however presents a vivid hot-pink to magenta coloration with a white star shape in the center that contrasts the deep magenta lip and inner petal/sepal segments. This plant is visually demanding. L. gouldiana hails from the mountainous regions of México, specifically from
Hidalgo. A small state in central México, Hidalgo is extremely mountainous and has numerous microclimates. This laelia grows in both the warm valleys and cold mountains; as such this laelia and its other cousins have adaptations to cope with these temperature extremes and as such is very tolerant to a wide variety of cultural conditions.
Laelia gouldiana has only been used 18 times as a parent according to the RHS registration database. The genetic information of this species is underrepresented in hybrids. One can’t help but wonder what a remake of Lc.
Puppy Love (C. Dubiosa x L. anceps) would yield using L. gouldiana instead of L. anceps. Another possibility would be a marriage of Bl. Yellow Bird or Bl. Richard Meuller with the vibrant colors of L. gouldiana.
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