LAELIAS OF MEXICO Federico Halbinger and Miguel Soto Illustrations by Rolando Jiménez, Ricardo Peláez and Roberto González Tamayo Orquídea (Méx.) Herbario AMO Mexico City 1997 ORQUIDEA (MEX.) VOLUMEN 15. NUMERO UNICO OCTUBRE 1997 REVISTA DEL HERBARIO AMO Publicación dedicada primordialmente a la orquideoflora N eotropical. A publication devoted primarily to the Neotropical orchid flora. COMITE EDITORIAL Eric Hágsater, AMO (Editor) Miguel Soto, AMO (Editor Ejecutivo) Ed Greenwocxi, AMO (Coeditor) Robert L. Dressler, FLAS Phillip 1. Cribb, K Jerzy Rzedowski, IEB Paul M. Catling, DAO Charles 1. Sheviak, NYS Fernando Chiang, MEXU Registrada en la Dirección del Derecho de Autor de la Secretaría de Educación Pública bajo el número 608/71. ISSN 0300-3701 ISBN -968-7889-03-9 MEXICO, D.F. 1997 To my wife Olly, my son Gerardo, and my daughter Brigitte Federico Halbinger To my sister Velia Soto Miguel Soto Halbinger & Soto: Laelias of Mexico CONTENTS List of photographs 5 List of figures 8 Presentation 9 Abstract - Resumen 11 Foreword 12 Introduction 13 The genus Laelia and its classification 15 Cladistic analysis of Mexican Laelia and related groups 21 Climate, Habitat, and Cultivation 29 Ecology 31 Conservation 35 Taxonomic treatment Generic description 38 Key for identification of Mexican Laelias 40 The Laelia species: Laelia albida 43 Laelia anceps subsp. anceps 51 Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii 63 Laelia aurea 77 Laelia autumnalis 83 Laelia crawshayana 97 Laelia eyermaniana 103 Laelia Jurfuracea 111 Laelia gouldiana 119 Laelia rubescens 125 Laelia speciosa 135 Laelia superbiens 145 Natural hybrids in Laelia 151 Excluded Taxa 155 References 155 Index 156 Appendix 1 159 Appendix 2 160 4 ORQUIDEA (MEX.) 15. OCTOBER 1997 Halbinger & Soto: Laelias of Mexico rm LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS 54: Photo 13. Laelia anceps subsp. anceps wilh a darker axialline on petaIs. Photo E. Aguirre. Pictures by F. Halbinger, except when noted. Photo 14. Laelia anceps subsp. anceps from Chiapas. Photo 15. A Laelia anceps subsp. anceps wilh narrow rm .!Q: Photos 1 and 2. Lateral and front view of segments. Photo P. Monney. lhe gullet formed by lhe lip and column in Laelia Photo 16. Laelia anceps subsp. anceps from eyermaniana. Photos E. Greenwood. Chavarrillo, Veracruz. rm rm 18: Photo 3. The pollinarium of Laelia 55: Photo 17. Laelia anceps subsp. anceps; a eyermaniana, back. Photo E. Greenwood. ., semialba carnea" . Photo 18. Laelia anceps subsp. anceps, a pale-colored rm 19: Photos 4,5,6. Three different types of specimen from Veracruz. Photo J. Lamas. columns found in lhe Mexican Laelias. Lef!, Laelia rm superbiens, note lhe bilobed, saddle-shaped anlher. 57: Photo 19. Laelia anceps subsp. anceps cv. Center, L. rubescens wilh a long triangular stigma "Cielito Lindo", MO/AMO. A semialba wilh and a prominent viscarium. Right, L. eyermaniana, amelhyst tip, apparently from Veraeruz, a type known showing lhe structure found in most species. Photos in horticulture as "veitchiana ". Photo J. Lamas. by E. Hágsater and E. Greenwood. Photo 20. A Laelia anceps subsp. anceps wilh white flowers and reddish stripes in lhe throat. rm 46: Photo 7. A clump of Laelia albida grown on rm a mesquite tree in Teposcolula, Oaxaca. 58: Photo 21. A very rounded form of Laelia Photo 8. AL. albida from Oaxaca showing lhe most anceps subsp. anceps from Guatemala. common color of!bis species. Photo 22. Laelia anceps subsp. anceps cv. "Mendenhall", AM/AOS, a polyploid plant. rm 47: Photo 9. Laelia albida "Achim", MP/AMO. rm Photo E. Hágsater. 59: Photos 23 and 24. Two different plants ()f L. Photo 10. Laelia albida "Kalherine", MP/AMO. anceps subsp. anceps from central Veracruz. Photo E. Hágsater. rm 60: Photo 25. Laelia anceps subsp. anceps, rm 49: Photo 11. Laelia albida "Bella de Moore" , growing wild in Chiapas. Photo J. Lamas. MP/AMO. Photo 26. Laelia anceps subsp. anceps, a speeimen Photo 12. Laelia albida fading to salmon pink, from from Veracruz wilh striped petaIs, like lhe old cv. soulhem Oaxaca. "Lineata". Photo J. Lamas. rm 61: Photo 27. Laelia anceps subsp .. anceps ev. "Doña Marina", MOl AMO. Photo J. Lamas. * Foot note: Infraspecific taxonomic categories used rm in this work are, in hierarchical order, subspecies 65: Photo 28. Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii f. (subsp.), form (f.) and cultivar (cv.); lhe subspecies dawsonii cv. "Pacífico", MPI AMO, one of lhe few indicating large geographical variation; form is specimens wilh semialba flowers, similar to lhe applied for color and shape minor variations usually original Tucker's specimen. Photo J. Lamas. restricted to a single or few populations; and cultivar rm for outstanding single clones of horticultural interest. 68: Photo 29. Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii f. VarietaI names have been avoided since its use and dawsonii cv. "Jalisco", MBI AMO biological signifieance is not as clear as lhe categories Photo 30. Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii f. dawsonii, above mentioned. a pale semialba. Photo M. Soto. ORQUIDEA (MEX.) 15. OCTOBER 1997 5 Halbillger & Soto: Laelias of Mexico ~ 69: Photo 31. Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii f. ~ 92: Photo 49. Laelia autumnalis f. atrorubens dawsonii cv. "Helen". Photo J. Lamas. "San Lucas", MP/AMO. Photo E. Hágsater. Photo 32. Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii f. dawsonii. An uncommon pale-colored specimen. Photo J. ~ 93: Photo 50. The artificial hybrid between Lamas. Laelia autumnalis and L. furfuracea. Photo R. Jiménez. ~ 72: Photo 33. Laelia anceps subs. dawsonii f. Photo 51. Laelia autumnalis f. xanthotrophis from chilapensis, the original type specimell. Photo P. Nayarit'. Note the more yellow callus and tbroat Monney. heavily marked with purple lines. Photo 34. Laelia anceps subs. dawsonii f. chilapensis cv. "Estrella del Sur" MO/AMO. Photo J. Lamas. ~ 100: Photo 52. A common color in Laelia crawshayana. ~ 74: Photo 35. Raceme of Laelia anceps subsp. Photo 53. Another common form of Laelia dawsonii f. chilapensis crawshayana. E. Hágsater 3244. Photo E. Hágsater. Photo 36. A seller of "calaveritas", Chilapa, Guerrero. Photo M. Soto. ~ 1QL Photo 54. Laelia crawshayana, a pale colored flower. ~ 75: Photo 37. Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii f. Photo 55. A raceme of Laelia crawshayana. chilapensis, the most common type seen in cultivation. ~ 107: Photo 56. A raceme of Laelia Photo 38. Laelia anceps subsp. dawsonii. M. Soto eyermaniana; note the characteristic thickenings at the 7449. An intermediate between forms dawsonii and apex of the sepals in the floral buds. chilapensis. Photo F. Halbinger. Photo 57. A darker form of L. eyermaniana from SW Chihuahua. ~ 78: Photo 39. Laelia aurea cv. "Nayar", MP/AMO, type specimen of this species. ~ 108: Photo 58. Laelia eyermaniana from Jalisco, E. Hágsater 4151. Photo E. Hágsater. ~ 81: Photo 40. Laelia aurea from Nayarit. Photo 59. Laelia eyermaniana with a dark midlobe of Photo 41. Laelia aurea from Sinaloa. Note the the !ip and pale tepals. Photo E. Hágsater. narrow segments. ~ 109: Photo 60. Typical color in L. furfuracea. ~ 82: Photo 42. Laelia autumnalis f. autumnalis, M. Soto 6269. Photo R. Jiménez. typical color, from More!ia, Michoacán. Photo 61. Laelia furfuracea and L. autumnalis Photo 43. Laelia autumnalis f. autumnalis, cv. "Ana growing on a plum tree in Federico Halbinger' s Lilia", MB/ AMO. garden in Mexico City. ~ 86: Photos 44-45. Two different clones of ~ ll±;, Photo 62. Laelia furfuracea, a very dark Laelia autumnalis f. autumnalis showing the color formo variation in this formo ~ ~ Photo 63. Laelia furfuracea cv. "Stella", ~ 88: Photo 46. Laelia autumnalis f. autumnalis MO/AMO. from Tangancícuaro, Michoacán. Photo 64. A pale-colored flower of Laelia furfuracea. Photo 47. A cultivated clump of Laelia autumnalis. ~ 116: Photo 65. A very pale-colored flower of ~ 89: Photo 48. Laelia autumnalis f. atrorubens Laelia furfuracea. "Magna", MO/AMO. Photo 66. Laeliafurfuracea with darker !ip. 6 ORQUIDEA (MEX.) 15. OCTOBER 1997 HaJbinger & Soto: Laelias of Mexico ~ llL Photo 67. Raceme of LaeLia goulitiana. somewhat darker than usual. Photo 87. Laelia speciosa "Jupiter", MOl AMO, ~ 122: Photo 68. Laelia goulitiana. anoutstanding dark, full flower; note the heavily Photo 69. Laelia goulitiana. rnarked tip. ~ 123: Photo 70. Laelia Autoceps, the artificiaJ ~ 143: Photo 88. Raceme of Laelia superbiens hybrid between Laelia anceps and L. autlimJlfllis. E. from Chiapas. Hágsater 6009. Photo E. Hágsater. Photo 71. A cultivated specimen of Laelia goulitiana. ~ 147: Photo 89. Close-up of the callus of Laelia superbiens. Photo E. Greenwood. ~ 128: Photo 72. Laelia rubescens from Photo 90. A raceme with paJer flowers Laelia Campeche. Photo G. Pollard. superbiens from Chiapas. Photo 73. A raceme of Laelia rubescens from coastal Jalisco. Note the bright yellow disc, typicaJ of the ~ 153: Photos 91-92. Two members of a hybrid plants from this area. swarm between Laelia anceps subsp. anceps and L. superbiens. Both plants from northem Oaxaca. Left, a ~ 129: Photo 74. The alba form of Laelia specimen cultivated by A. Jones; right a plant rubescens; this clone from Guatemala has very large collected by A. Lau (sub E. Hágsater 9539). Photos flowers. by P.M. Catling and R. Jiménez, respectively. Photo 75. Laelia rubescens, a common formo Photo 76. Laelia rubescens with white flowers and ~ 154: Photo 93. A plant presumed to be a naturaJ blotched throat. hybrid between Laelia albicla and L. eyermaniana. N. Bashor 680-A. Photo N. Bashor. ~ l32: Photo 77. Laelia rubescens f. peduncularis Photo 94. Laelia rubescens cv. "Ocuilan" MP/AMO. from Guerrero. Photo E. Greenwood. E. Pérez 302. A specimen thought to have some Photo 78. Laelia rubescens f. peduncularis from genetic influence of L. anceps subsp. clawsonii. Photo southem Oaxaca, G. Salazar 4873. Photo R. Jiménez. R. Jiménez. ~ l33: Photo 79. The habitat of Laelia speciosa in the dry season, near Lake Pátzcuaro, Michoacán. Photo M. Soto. Photo 80. A rather common color and shape in Laelia speciosa ~ 136: Photo 81. Laelia speciosa growing wild in Hidalgo, with Jorge Lamas. ~ 138: Photo 82. A very paJe-colored specimen of Laelia speciosa. Photo 83. Laelia speciosa aJba. ~ l39: Photo 84. A unique pastel pink-flowered plan! of Laelia speciosa. Photo 85. A paje colored Laelia speciosa. ~ 142: Photo 86. Laelia speciosa with flowers ORQUIDEA (MEX.) 15. OCTOBER 1997 7