Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthPark
...I read not too long ago that the reason for Laelia purpurata being re-classified to Cattleya purpurata is because 'they' (the researchers) did DNA testing - and ended up finding that the DNA falls into the Catt category, instead of the Laelia category. Interesting.
It was put into the Laelia category originally because there was some older rule-of-thumb associated with the number of pollinia in flowers ------ eg. 8 pollinia for Laelia, and 4 pollinia for Cattleya....
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The first Laelias discovered were the Mexican species. They have 8 pollinia, and look substantially different from the other plants having 8 pollinia. The big-flowered Brazilian plants look almost like unifoliate Cattleyas, except for the 8 pollinia. If they had 4 pollinia, they would have been put into Cattleya from the start. Even in the 1800s some botanists thought the Brazilian "Laelias" should have been put into Cattleya. I think a lot of people are unhappy with the small-flowered rupicolous Laelias being put into Cattleya.
Laelia purpurata
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