Masdevallia ludibundella Luer & R.Escobar 1995 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Masdevallia SUBSECTION Caudatae Veitch 1889
Photo courtesy of © Lourens Grobler
Photo courtesy of Patricia Harding
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
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Common Name The Smaller Ludibunda Masdevallia
Flower Size 3/4" [2 cm]
Found in Colombia but without locality as a miniature sized, warm to cool growing presumaby epiphytic orchid with erect slender, blackish ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical-obovate, subacute to obtuse leaf that is narrowly cuneate below into the petiole and blooms in the later spring on an erect, slender, 2 2/5" to 2 3/4" [6 to 7 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul and has a bract near the base and a tubular floral bract and carries a fragrant single flower.
This species is differentiated from M ludibunda by it's flower that is held 2 to 3 times higher than the leaves and very short tails .6” [about 15 mm] on the sepal and a suberect dorsal sepal with a suberect tail, instead of a decurved one. This species was found in a collection in the USA and has never been found in situ.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 65 No 7 1996; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 6 COS 1998 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXIII Systematics of Masdevallia Part 4 Luer 2002 drawing fide; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007
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