Please help identify this Laelia

[George Hart]

This looks like a rupicolous Laelia, and probably a hybrid. It came as a seedling, along with many others, in agar at the bottom of a sealed glass container, which was bought ~10 years ago at Kuala Lumpur airport.

Has anyone seen one of these? Any idea of its parentage? Or why a plant from Brazil should be available at KL airport?!

Many thanks for your help.

[SaraJean]

That looks like it has a lot of Brassavola in it. I couldn’t tell you the exact parentage but probably something similar to a Brassocattleya Sarah Black, Bc. Saint Andre, or Bc. Hippodamia (so many of these hybrids can look very similar to one another)
As far as why it was available at an airport? No clue. Pure luck maybe

[Optimist]

It looks like an encyvola, (encyclia X Brassavola).

The possible confusion is that there is one called Kirchara (a defunct name) which is (Cattleya x Epidendrum x Laelia x Sophronitis) see where the laelia is in that name? The guy at the airport might not have been an orchid specialist.

Look-alikes would include: (E. phoenicea x B. Little Stars) Encyvola Phoenix (B. nodosa x E. phoenicea) and Encyvola Vivian German (Phoenix x E. phoenicea)

I like these little guys. I have one, and am trying to get a few more of different types.

[Fairorchids]

Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and of course Taiwan grow a lot of orchids, many of which are non-native to the region. Not surprising to find a Brassavola nodosa hybrid there.

[George Hart]

Many thanks all for your help.