Laelia purpurata var. virginalis 'Campeã'

[Rosim_in_BR]

Long sought for, this is finally added to my collection! Along with two other clones ('Elias' and 'Palhoça') this is one of the most beautiful albino Laelia purpurata. The blooms are pure white with only a little yellow deep in the throat. It is also commonly known as variety alba 'Campeã' (Champion), but naming it alba is not technically correct.

The blooms:
Laelia purpurata Lindl. & Paxton - var. virginalis 'Campeã' on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

The plant and blooms:
Laelia purpurata Lindl. & Paxton - var. virginalis 'Campeã' on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[camille1585]

It's one of the nicest white orchids I have seen!

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by camille1585

It's one of the nicest white orchids I have seen!

Thanks, Camille! You needed to know it in person to see how charming it is!!

[Cookiemonster]

I love this one, heavenly..
Thank you for sharing. I had a quick question and I know this might seem ridiculous, but I dont know, I've seen L.Purpurata var alba with yellow in the throat and others without, any reason for why this happens?! I know alba =white, Virginalis=pure ? ...
Anyways, thanks again Mauro

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by Cookiemonster

I love this one, heavenly..
Thank you for sharing. I had a quick question and I know this might seem ridiculous, but I dont know, I've seen L.Purpurata var alba with yellow in the throat and others without, any reason for why this happens?! I know alba =white, Virginalis=pure ? ...
Anyways, thanks again Mauro

This is not ridiculous, Suzie. Actually, these are good questions! Laelia purpurata varieties are a little more complicated than other species. For some reason that nobody can understand, describing the flower you see below Veitch named it variety alba.

Of course it is not an albino, white flower in the common sense, but he did name it 'alba' anyway, and the white, albino flower of L. purpurata, remained not described until Lou Menezes describe it years ago. When she was describing it, she could not give the name alba anymore, already taken by Veitch and its colored 'alba', and so she chose the name 'virginalis'. So, the white flowers of L. purpurata should be named L. purpurata var. virginalis, not alba.
When the yellow is not present in the throat of the white purpurata flowers people use to call it 'alba plena' (something like 'completely white'), or virginalis plena to be correct.

[Jerry Delaney]

Originally Posted by Rosim_in_BR

This is not ridiculous, Suzie. Actually, these are good questions! Laelia purpurata varieties are a little more complicated than other species. For some reason that nobody can understand, describing the flower you see below Veitch named it variety alba.

Of course it is not an albino, white flower in the common sense, but he did name it 'alba' anyway, and the white, albino flower of L. purpurata, remained not described until Lou Menezes describe it years ago. When she was describing it, she could not give the name alba anymore, already taken by Veitch and its colored 'alba', and so she chose the name 'virginalis'. So, the white flowers of L. purpurata should be named L. purpurata var. virginalis, not alba.
When the yellow is not present in the throat of the white purpurata flowers people use to call it 'alba plena' (something like 'completely white'), or virginalis plena to be correct.

Really fantastic pictures Mauro! Your culture for these plants is absolutely superb! However, I am confused. As you say, the taxonomy of this species is "complicated" (to me, just plain confusing).
Regardless of what name was given, why isn't this variety a 'delicata' or with the minimum amount of veining perhaps a 'russeliana'?
Regardless of what technical name is given, just plain 'beautiful' is appropriate!

[Rosim_in_BR]

Thank you all guys for the kind words you always have to me!

Originally Posted by Jerry Delaney

Really fantastic pictures Mauro! Your culture for these plants is absolutely superb! However, I am confused. As you say, the taxonomy of this species is "complicated" (to me, just plain confusing).
Regardless of what name was given, why isn't this variety a 'delicata' or with the minimum amount of veining perhaps a 'russeliana'?
Regardless of what technical name is given, just plain 'beautiful' is appropriate!

yup, confusing is the word, Jerry. It happened that the average collectors didn't know that Veitch had named the above light colored flower 'alba'. So, when collectors found an albino they start calling it alba, not knowing that technically they could not do it. So, as a mistake never comes alone, when they saw the above flower they called it delicata, again not knowing that it should be called alba. Well, you sleep with this noise! Technically, it is not recommended to call the above plant var. delicata, although it is common seeing it labeled this way. It should most properly be labeled var. alba 'delicata'. There's another famous of the same color named 'Graciana', that should be labeled var. alba 'Graciana'. They crossed the two and started callingn the progeny 'Graciata', when the correct should be var. alba 'Graciata' (my plant above is 'Graciata').
Krackowizer in his Monograph of Laelia purpurata describes a variety called 'delicata' that has the lip like the above, but the petals and sepals are cream, not pure white. Never saw something like this!

[gixrj18]

Originally Posted by Rosim_in_BR

Thank you all guys for the kind words you always have to me!


yup, confusing is the word, Jerry. It happened that the average collectors didn't know that Veitch had named the above light colored flower 'alba'. So, when collectors found an albino they start calling it alba, not knowing that technically they could not do it. So, as a mistake never comes alone, when they saw the above flower they called it delicata, again not knowing that it should be called alba. Well, you sleep with this noise! Technically, it is not recommended to call the above plant var. delicata, although it is common seeing it labeled this way. It should most properly be labeled var. alba 'delicata'. There's another famous of the same color named 'Graciana', that should be labeled var. alba 'Graciana'. They crossed the two and started callingn the progeny 'Graciata', when the correct should be var. alba 'Graciata' (my plant above is 'Graciata').
Krackowizer in his Monograph of Laelia purpurata describes a variety called 'delicata' that has the lip like the above, but the petals and sepals are cream, not pure white. Never saw something like this!

So in the average orchid world, what differentiates an alba from an albina. If I had a white one pop up from a bunch of siblings, how would I know which one to register it as? Thanks, Mauro!

[gixrj18]

I love it! Mauro, your pictures are always like watching the "Orchid Discovery Channel".....beautiful, high-def pictures, and something to learn about each one! Thanks for the knowledge, and keep the beautiful purpuratas comin'

[lostonthebeach]

Originally Posted by gixrj18

I love it! Mauro, your pictures are always like watching the "Orchid Discovery Channel".....beautiful, high-def pictures, and something to learn about each one! Thanks for the knowledge, and keep the beautiful purpuratas comin'

:iagree:
Absolutely !! Thanks Again.