× Brassolaeliocattleya (abbreviated Blc. in the horticultural trade) is an orchid nothogenus — a genus applied exclusively to intergeneric hybrids — in the family Orchidaceae. Each grex (hybrid cultivar) classified under this name must trace its ancestry to at least one species from each of the three parent genera: Brassavola R.Br., Cattleya Lindl., and Laelia Lindl., and to no other genera. The hybrids were among the most spectacular cultivated orchids, prized especially for their large, showy labellum. However, taxonomic revisions between 1999 and 2009 moved the most commonly used Brassavola parents into Rhyncholaelia and the most commonly used Laelia parents into Cattleya, with the result that most greges once called × Brassolaeliocattleya are now classified under × Rhyncholaeliocattleya or other nothogenera.
Etymology
The name × Brassolaeliocattleya is a portmanteau combining the names of its three ancestral genera: Brassavola, Laelia, and Cattleya. In the horticultural trade it is abbreviated Blc.
Taxonomy
× Brassolaeliocattleya is a nothogenus — a hybrid genus name used only for intergeneric crosses, never for naturally occurring species. It requires each grex to have ancestry from at least one species in each of Brassavola, Cattleya, and Laelia. By 2009, taxonomic revisions had moved the most commonly used Brassavola parents into the genus Rhyncholaelia and the most frequently used Laelia parents into Cattleya. Consequently, most greges that were classified as × Brassolaeliocattleya in 1999 are now placed in × Rhyncholaeliocattleya, with others distributed among several nothogenera. Despite these changes, the name persists in horticultural use and in some taxonomic databases such as GBIF, where it is listed as an accepted genus with one descendant recorded.
Cultivation
× Brassolaeliocattleya hybrids were among the most spectacular of cultivated orchids, particularly valued for their large, showy labellum. They are grown as ornamental plants in conservatories and by orchid enthusiasts. As intergeneric hybrids, specific cultivation requirements depend on the parent species involved, but they generally follow standard epiphytic orchid care for the Cattleya alliance: bright indirect light, high humidity, well-draining bark-based media, and a distinct dry period between waterings.
