Masdevallia rolfeana Kraenzl. 1891 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Reichenbachianae Woolw. 1896
Photos by © Pupulin
Photo by Eric Hunt
Photo by David Morris
Common Name Rolfe's Masdevallia [Kew Taxomonist 1800's]
Flower Size 2 1/2" [6.75 cm]
Found in Costa Rica in windy cloud forests on tree trunks at elevations of 1400 to 2200 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with erect stems enveloped basally by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths with a single, apical, patulate, slightly rough adaxially, petiolate leaf with the apex either emarginate or apicaulate. This species blooms in the fall, winter and spring with a 5 to 7" long inflorescence that is shorter than the leaves and has 1 to 3 successive flowers.
Synonyms Reichantha rolfeana (Kraenzl.) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Epidendra Website CR ; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 7 385 - 448 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1975; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1555 Atwood 1993 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXI Systematics of Masdevallia Part 2 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Reichantha rolfeana; AOS Bulletin Vol 80 #3 2011 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide; Vanishing Beauty, Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 2 Lacaena to Pteroglossa Pupulin 2020 photo fide
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