Masdevallia pinocchio Luer & Andreetta 1978 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986
Photos by © Eric Hunt Photo showing extremes of lip movement
Photos by © Alexander Hirtz
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
LATE 
Common Name The Pinocchio Masdevallia
Flower Size 3/4" [2 cm]
Found in Napo province of Ecuador at elevations of 1300 to 1500 meters as a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with stout, erect, ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, thickly coriaceous, elliptical, subacute leaf that has the base cuneate below into the channeled petiole that blooms in the late spring on an erect, inflorescence arising from the base of the ramicaul with a tubular, basal bract, congested, erect, triquetrous, to 12" [to 30 cm] long, successively several flowered, racemose with thin, tubular, imbricating, shorter than the pedicel floral bracts and carrying an interesting flower held well above the leaf that has a moveable labellum.
"Distinguished by a congested, long-pedicellate, successively flowered raceme that exceeds the leaves. The flower is one of the most distinctive in the genus. In the center of the relatively large, yellow, gaping, bilabiate flower, the horizontally balanced, blackish lip oscillates. The photo above by A Hirtz clearly shows the lip in extremes of position. Tis is unique to Subsection Alaticaules but common in the subgenus Madevallia, especially in the subsections Caudatae and Oscillates
Synonyms Alaticaulia pinocchio (Luer & Andreetta) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurotallidinarum 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/photo 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; Orchid Digest Vol 70 #3 2006 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia pinocchio ; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Alaticaulia pinnochio photo/drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #4 2017 photo ok;
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