Masdevallia impostor Luer & R. Escobar 1979 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986
Photo by © Andreas Philipp
Photo by Bernard Gerrard
Photo by Patricia Harding.
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
and 
Common Name The Deciever Masdevallia [refers to its being confused with another species]
Flower Size 3/8" [1 cm]
Found in Lara state of Venezuela, Antioquia and Cauca departments of Colombia and Morona-Santiago province of Ecuador at elevations of 1500 to 1900 meters in cloud forests as a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with stout, erect ramicauls enveloped by 2 to3 tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse leaf that is narrowly cuneate below into the stout petiole that blooms in the winter, spring and fall on an erect to arching, arising from low on the ramicaul, congested, racemose, to 20" [to 50 cm] long, triquetrous, successively single flowered inflorescence with papery, imbricating, shorter than the pedicel floral bracts and carrying large showy flowers.
"Origianlly confused with M maculata but recognized by the large, slender, bilabiate flower borne in a congested, successively flowered raceme by a long, triquetrous peduncle. From the short sepaline tube the narrow dorsal sepal stands erect and the synsepal protrudes forward with revolute margins instead of decurving, the apices continuing as approximate, white tails." Luer 2000
Synonyms Alaticaulia impostor (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Orquideologia Vol 13 No 2 1979 photo/drawing/herbarium sheet fide; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 288 Bennett & Christenson 1995; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 6 COS 1998 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XIX Systematics of Masdevallia Part 1 Luer 2000 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; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia impostor; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Alaticaulia imposter drawing fide; An Illustrated Field Guide to the Orchids of the Yotoco Forest Reserve Colombia Kolanowska, Escobar, Sanchez & Szlachetko 2011 drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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