Dracula aphrodes Luer & R. Escobar 1989 SUBGENUS Dracula SECTION Dracula SUBSECTION Dracula SERIES Grandiflorae-Parvilabiate Luer 1993
Photo by © Gary Meyers
Photos by © Milan Vágner
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer
Common Name The Foamy Dracula [refers to the epichile of the lip]
Flower Size 1 1/2" [3.75 cm]
Found in Valle de Cauca department of Colombia in cloud forests at elevations of 1800 to 1900 meters as a medium sized, cool growing epiphyte with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, erect, thinly coriaceous, carinate, narrowly elliptical, acute, gradually narrowing below into the conduplicate, subpetiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a stout, erect, arising from low on the ramicaul, 6 to 10" [15 to 25 cm] long, successively few flowered inflorescence with shorter than the pedicels floral bracts.
"Most similar to Dracula verticulosa with the glabrous sepals but in D aphrodes the sepals are subacute instead of obtuse. The most distinguishing feature is the epichile of the lip that is pink and filled with tall radiating lamellae that are often incomplete and present as tall, flat, erect, rounded teeth. The oblon epichile is sometimes lightly consytricted near the middle. it is filled with three primary, low, irreegular lamellae with incomplete, radiating veins on either side that break up into regular vacuoles near the margin."Luer & Escobar 1993
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * A O S Bulletin ,Vol 58: 4 pg1002 Luer & Escobar 1988 Photo/drawing fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 1 COS 1990 photo fide; Thesaurus Dracularum Vol 6 Luer, Escobar and Dalstroem 1993 watercolor/drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum X Systematics of Dracula Luer 1993 drawing fide; Orchid Digest Vol 61 #4 1997 photo fide; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007; Orchid Digest Vol 72 No 4 2008 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide; Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 1 Ortiz & Uribe 2014 drawing/photo fide;
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