Masdevallia rechingeriana Kraenzl. 1921 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986
Close up of lip and petals Photos by © Jay Pfahl
Side View of Flower Photo by OSPF
Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name Rechinger's Masdevallia [Austrian Botanist and Friend to Kranzl. early 1900's]
Flower Size .8 x 2.4" [2 x6 cm]
Found in northern Venezuela with out locational data and erroneously believed to be synomonous with M sceptrum, as a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3, loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apcial, erect, rigid, thickly coriaceous, elliptic-obovate, obtuse to rounded apically cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring, summer and fall on an erect, triquetrous, congested, 8" [20 cm] long, successively few flowered inflorescence arising from the base of the ramicaul with a bract at the base and a thin, thublular, imbricating floral bracts.
CAUTION Kew puts this one as a synonym of M sceptrum but it differs from the similar M sceptrum by the robust habit, a stout triquetrous inflorescence that is considerably longer than the leaves. The successive opening flowers are in a congested raceme. The dorsal sepal is yellowish and attenuated; the synsepal is dark purple, deeply connate with the apices separated by an acute angle. The tails are as long as the blade of the leaf. The petals are oblong and simply callous on the lower margins. THe oblong lip has rounded, marginal folds near the middle and an acute, verrucose apex.
Synonyms Alaticaulia rechingeriana (Kraenzl.) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 4 Dunsterville & Garay 1966 drawing not = M deceptrix; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 #9 1967; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 3 1970; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 2 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing not = M deceptrix; Venezuela; Paraiso de Orquideas Romero 1997 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XIX Systematics of Masdevallia Part 1 Luer 2000 as synonym to M sceptrum; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXV Masdevallia Part 5 Luer 2003 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia rechingeriana;
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