Schltr.

Pronunciation:

mi-cro-LEh-lee-a
Tribe: Epidendreae 
Subtribe: Laeliinae

Section Microlaelia includes only one species, Laelia lundii. This species has a wide distribution range in the dryer interior of Brazil, from the state of Paraná in the south to the Federal District (where the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, is located) in the north. The habitat is semi-deciduous gallery forests (epiphytic) in the southernmost and northernmost parts of the range, and on large rock outcropings (lithophytic) in the state of Minas Gerais (where the plants are exposed to a lot of light and a fair amount of wind). Under these conditions, Laelia lundii grows on rocks or on short twisted trunks of semi-deciduous trees and produces large plants that can sometimes be several feet across. The plants produce small elliptic pseudobulbs topped by two narrow but fleshy leaves separated by long rhizome sections. The small (around 1") flowers appear 2-4 from the top of the pseudobulbs and have fairly narrow and similar white, pink tinged sepals and petals. The lips are white with bright magenta stripes.

Number of species:

1, few color forms. The World Monocot Checklist currently considers this species to belong to a greatly expanded genus Sophronitis however Genera Orchidacearum Vol. 5 will transfer the entire Sophronitis to Cattleya and the World Checklist will follow soon thereafter.

Distribution:

Tropical America, Brazil

Laelia lundii - ©2009 Greg Allikas 

Laelia lundii - ©2009 Greg Allikas 

 

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