Masdevallia phoenix Luer 1978 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986
Photo by © John Varigos
Photo courtesy of Carlos Hajek
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
to EARLY
Common Name The Phoenix Masdevallia [named for the famed mythological bird]
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in Ecuador and Huanuco department of Peru in wet montane forests at elevations of 1000 to 1500 meters as a small 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 with the base cuneate into the channeled petiole that blooms in the winter and early spring on an erect, arising from the base of the ramicaul with a basal bractcongested, erect, triquetrous, 6 to 12" [15 to 30 cm] long, successively several flowered, racemose, inflorescence with thin imbricating, as long as the ovary floral bratcs carrying flowers that never really open fully held above the leaf.
"The unique flowers have purple spotted lateral sepals spread beyond the short, sepaline cup and all three forwardly directed tails converge towards the tips as the beak, of some bird-like monster." Luer 2000
Synonyms Alaticaulia phoenix (Luer) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; 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 fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXV Systematics of Masdevallia Part Five Luer 2003; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia phoenix; Orquideas del Peru Freuler 2010 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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