Laelia purpurata sanguinea

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Joined
Nov 28, 2009
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Location
Cambridge, UK
This plant is an import via Germany a couple of years ago from Bela Vista orchids. They had a large group of selected purpuratas for sale on their web site which could be ordered and imported through Regina Elsner. Sadly Regina has now retired and we now have Brexit so the chances of repeating this again anytime soon are very low. Breeding of these purpurata colour forms is at a very high level in South America so the chance to pick up some selected forms was a chance not to be missed.
Purpuratas are tough plants and even the trip across the Atlantic and loss of most of the roots didn’t stop this plant flowering on its first growth after the trip last year.
Year two and we see two flowering growths and seven flowers although the plant is by no means full sized. The blooms average 12-13cm across on growths about 45cm tall.
What I love about this flower is the intensity of the lip colour, such a rich deep red. The flowers are also quite flat for a purpurata and because of this the plant may be a tetraploid.
Last photo shows it with friends, mossiaes and lueddemanniana.
D7BD5491-202B-40F9-B20C-B6708DE43312.jpegAD52E49F-55B5-46CF-83E1-AF57146B80C9.jpeg6542F531-2E54-4138-9FD1-F0C4B36737B9.jpeg
David
 
David, I have a little itch back in my brain to collect different forms of purpurata after showing I could bloom one! I recently acquired the last selfing of ‘Equilab’ that Orchids Limited has and know they have sanguinea and some other forms. But, I am trying to hold myself back. Since I am land locked in my plant room I have to be very careful about special interests!
 
Excellent flowers ans what a great magenta colouration. 👌

@Jens : You should negotiate with Eric Burdon to re-record this song with your lyrics. 👍
 
The one I couldn't resist was the Schusteriana type. Here is a link to an Orchids Limited page for the selfing of 'Equilab' that I bought with a video that Jerry Fischer made taking you through a bunch of blooming purpuratas. I don't want to watch it again!
 
I know the one Terry.
I bought a selfing of the schusteriana clone from them three years ago.
It had also been colchicine treated so may have been tetraploid.
It grew ok if slowly for a couple of years and then succumbed to the rot that affected some plants last year.
Lesson learned thanks to discussions at slippertalk. All my plants are now in their own containers and don’t share a tray where cross contamination could occur.
Fingers crossed, no rot for the past six months,
David
 

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