Laelia reginae - Thimble sized Laelia

[Drorchid]

This little species opened up, it was sooooo cute I had to take a picture of it. It is growing in a 2 inch terra cotta pot. We have a whole bunch of related mini- Laealia's in our collection (like Laelia briegeri, Laelia bradei, Laelia xanthina, Laelia cinnabrina, Laelia lundii and Laelia lilliputiana). Does anyone know if someone is breeding with these cute little Laelia's? I think it would be nice if there was a line of little thimble sized Cattleya/Laelia hybrids that you could grow in 2 inch pots. hmmmmm maybe I should start working on that.....

Robert

 

[Candace]

Very dainty.

 

[SlipperKing]

nice! Good luck on your breeding. I hope you don't wear bifocals!oke:

 

[Hera]

The rupicolus laelias have been of interest to me for some time now. I would love to see minis made as primary crosses between them. There have to be some out there already, but I'm more familiar with the cross-sectional hybrids.

 

[nikv]

Go for it, Robert! Just get out your mini toothpicks. And you'll probably need a jeweler's loop, too. :rollhappy: I'd love to see some of these minis crossed onto something like a laelia sincorana or a Mini Purple or the sort. I think the results would be very nice.

 

[Mrs. Paph]

Definitely start working on those crosses! I just love anything much tinier or much larger than 'the usual' for a type of plant, animal, object. I wonder if you could flask these crosses in the 15ml flask I have :rollhappy:

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Well, you couldn't call it stunning, but it is very cool. Has anyone tried crossing these tiny rupicolous types with Sophronitis? That might be very cool.

 

[Hera]

Just found on Sunset Valley Orchids a section for Rupicolous Laelia. I didn't know that they even carried them. He has a few crosses using milleri and briegeri mostly. Not primary crosses though. Oranges and yellows dominant.

 

[SlipperFan]

Bill Porter has a lovely little lundii cross, and I know he's talked about doing something with briegeri, but I don't know if he has yet or not:
http://portersorchids.com/catalogcatt.htm

 

[Bobc]

Very nice. good photos.

 

[tenman]

I have trouble distinguishing between reginae and fournieri. They look the same to me; I notice the lavender tips on your reginae - and on my fournieri (shown in a 2" pot). I have wondered from time to time if they are in fact conspecific.

Meanwhile, I know Woodland Orchids has one delightful L.lundii hybrid, a tiny, robust thing with lovely little flowers, plant about 3" high.

 

[Paul]

I have trouble distinguishing between reginae and fournieri. They look the same to me; I notice the lavender tips on your reginae - and on my fournieri (shown in a 2" pot). I have wondered from time to time if they are in fact conspecific.

Meanwhile, I know Woodland Orchids has one delightful L.lundii hybrid, a tiny, robust thing with lovely little flowers, plant about 3" high.

I was asking the same thing, I have a fournieri in flower now that looks exactly the same...

 

[biothanasis]

Wonderful!!!

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Bill Porter has a lovely little lundii cross, and I know he's talked about doing something with briegeri, but I don't know if he has yet or not:

Well, I guess that answers my question. Thanks Dot!

 

[TyroneGenade]

Well, you couldn't call it stunning, but it is very cool. Has anyone tried crossing these tiny rupicolous types with Sophronitis? That might be very cool.

Sl Psyche = coccinea x cinnabarina
Sl Marriottiana = flava x coccinea
Sl. Orpetii = coccinea x pumila
to name three that come to mind.

A lot of hybridizing has been done with L. pumila, some having been crossed to coccinea based hybrids. In fact, this line of breeding forms most of the foundation of mini-Catt breeding. To the best of my knowledge the other rupicolous types have not been used as systematically as pumila.

tt

 

[Drorchid]

Thanks Dot and Tenman for the pictures of some of the hybrids. They sure are an inspiration to make more of those kind of crosses.

Well, I guess without realizing it, a few years ago, I already made a Rupicolous Laelia cross. I remade Sl. Mariottiana, but instead of using the regular Sophr. coccinea, I used the flavum form:

Sl. Mariottiana flava:

Robert

 

[SlipperFan]

That's sweet, Robert.

If I ever get a greenhouse, I could see collecting these. Right now, even though these are small plants, I just have a space problem.

 

[neo-guy]

Fred Clarke at Sunset Valley Orchids has been doing some work with these laelias. Here is a primary between L. milleri and briegeri:

and a little more complex hybrid of Laelia Seagull's Tangerine x Sl. Pole Star:

 

[Jorch]

Such dainty but elegant flowers! Do they like really hot and humid conditions to grow and bloom?

 

[JeanLux]

very nice!!! Hopefully the hybrids are easier to grow !!! Jean