Laelia tereticaulis produces plants thet are very similar to those of L. rupestris. Usually the plants are comparatively taller though, and inflorescences are longer and produce a lot more flowers. Flowers are similar in color and shape, but lips are different. One easy and almost failproof way to separate them is that flowers open progressively from top to base of inflorescences in Laelia rupestris and from base to top in L. tereticaulis.