Masdevallia virgo-cuencae Luer & Andreetta 1978 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
Photo courtesy of © Lourens Grobler
Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt plant grown by SF Conservatory of Flowers
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Colombia
Ecuador 
LATER
and
Common Name The Virgin de Cuenca's Masdevallia [the Maiden of Cuenca]
Flower Size 1 1/4" [3 cm]
Found in Huila department of southern Colombia and Azuay province of Ecuador at altitudes around 850 meters in Colombia and 2700 meters in Ecuador as a miniature to small sized, warm or cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with a stout, erect ramicaul enveloped by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, thickly coriaceous, elliptical, subacute leaf that is cuneate below into a channeled petiolate base blooming in the later summer and fall on a stout, arising from the base of the ramicaul with a basal bract, erect, congested, 6" to 9" [16 to 23 cm] long, successively several, solitary flowered, triquetrous infloresence with tubular, thin, imbricating, much shorter than the pedicel floral bracts with the flowers held well above the leaves.
Kew at one time had M maloi as a synonym of this species but I can't buy it. See my details and photo closeup of lips of both species.
Synonyms Alaticaulia virgo-cuencae (Luer & Andreetta) Luer 2006; Masdevallia orchipopayensium P. Ortíz 2004
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 288 Bennett & Christenson 1995; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XIX Systematics of Masdevallia Part 1 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXII Systematics of Masdevallia Part 3 Luer 2001 drawing fide; ; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXV Systematics of Masdevallia Part Five Luer 2003; Orquideología Vol 23 #2 2004 as M orchipayensium photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia virgo-cuencae; A Treasure of Masdevallia Vol 28 Luer & Dalstroem 2006 watercolor fide; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007 photo not; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Alaticaulia virgo-cuencae drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
