Masdevallia cardiantha Königer 1980 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986

Photo courtesy of © Lourens Grobler

Drawing

Drawing by Carl Luer

Common Name The Heart-Shaped Masdevallia

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Amazonas department of northwestern Peru at elevations around 2100 meters as a miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute, narrowly cuneate below in to the slender petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a slender, erect, arising from low on the ramicaul with a bract at the base, triquetrous, 4" to 4.6" [10 to 11.5 cm] long, simultaneous 2 flowered inflorescence with tubular, imbricating, as long to longer than the pedicel floral bracts.

"Characterized by the slender, triquetrous peduncle longer than the leaves that bears a succession of single flowers. With the lateral sepals the dorsal sepal is connate into a short, cylindrical tube. The dorsal sepal is yellow with a slender tail longer than the tails of the synsepal. The lateral sepals are dark purple and deeply connate into a cordate synsepal that is shallowly sulcate along the longitudinal veins. The apices of the bifid lamina are approximate. The callus of the petals forms a large, rounded swelling on the basal third." Luer 2000

Synonyms Alaticaulia cardiantha (Königer) Luer 2006

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XIX Systematics of Masdevallia Part one Luer 2000 drawing fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia cardiantha ; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;

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