Masdevallia deceptrix Luer & Würstle 1987 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986
Photo by © Daniel Jimenez
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name The Deceiving Masdevallia [Named for the confusion between M maculata and this species]
Flower Size .4" [1 cm]
Found in the coastal mountains of Lara and Zulia states of Venezuela in montane rainforests at elevations of 1200 to 1400 meters as a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with stout, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thickly coriaceous, narrowly elliptical to elliptical, subacute to obtuse leaf that is narrowly cuneate below into the indistinct petiolate base and blooms in the winter on a congested, successively several flowered, triquetrous infloresence with imbricating, longer to shoter than the pedicel floral bracts holding the single flower above the leaf
The major difference between this species and M maculata is the fact that this species has a much longer and cylindrical sepaline tube
Synonyms Alaticaulia deceptrix (Luer & Würstle) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 4 Dunsterville & Garay 1966 as M rechingeriana drawing ok; Orchids of Venezuela An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 2 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 as M rechingeriana drawing ok; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 1 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XIX Systematics of Masdevallia Part 1 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia deceptrix; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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