A Cattleya by Any Other Name
Orchids, The American Orchid Society Magazine
June, 2003
It is unfortunate that, as Veitch observed in 1887, Bentham
and Hooker continued John Lindley’s separation of the genera, Laelia
and Cattleya, but it
is equally sad that Veitch did not correct the problem himself. Veitch’s
Manual of Orchidaceous Plants was the most widely read authoritative work
on orchids of its day, and had Veitch called the plant Cattleya purpurata
instead of L. purpurata in his manual, we would not be faced with the
nomenclature difficulties we have now with the large-flowered Brazilian
Laelias. In 1887, most orchid growers still used the names Cattleya crispa
and Cattleya lobata and 
totally
ignored John Lindley’s attempt 30 years earlier to change these
names to Laelia crispa and Laelia lobata. If Veitch had acted on his convictions
instead of just wringing his hands and blaming Bentham and Hooker, there
would be no problem with C. purpurata today.
Should we change the name Laelia purpurata to Cattleya purpurata now?
The genus Laelia was established based on a Mexican orchid, so the Mexican
Laelias will always retain the botanical priority in the use of the name
Laelia. Since it is now clear that the Brazilian large-flowered Laelias
do not belong in the same genus as the Mexican Laelias, the Brazilian
Laelias are in a botanical wilderness and they need some informed help
to place them in a happy home.
After growing these plants for 60 years, I have to agree with the horticulturists
of the late 1800s who felt the Brazilian large-flowered Laelias were Cattleya
species and should have always been classified that way.
If we change the Brazilian large-flowered Laelias to Cattleyas, of course,
we are still faced with the problem of who really described C. purpurata
first. Both Lindley and Lemaire published their descriptions of this orchid
in 1852. If Lindley failed to beat Lemaire to the pressroom, which is
probable, we may really be talking about Cattleya brysiana, not C. purpurata
as a name for this orchid. Whether we call it Cattleya purpurata or Cattleya
brysiana, however, is not too important. What is important is that we
finally call it Cattleya.
(Continued)