Dracula exasperata Luer & R. Escobar 1989 SUBGENUS Dracula SECTION Dracula SUBSECTION Dracula SERIES Parviflorae
Photo by © Eric Hunt
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer
Common Name The Smooth Dracula
Flower Size 6.4" [16 cm]
Found in Putumayo department of Colombia in wet montane cloud forests at elevations around 1800 to 2000 meters as a small to medium sized, cool growing epiphyte with erect, ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3, loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thinly coriaceous, carinate, linear, acute, gradually narrowing below into the conduplicate base leaf that blooms in the spring and summer on a slender, horizontal to descending, arising from low on the ramicaul, provided with a few bracts successively few flowered, 2.8 to 6.8" [7 to 17 cm] long, racemose inflorescence with just shorter to just as long as the pedicel floral bracts.
"The long, narrow leaves are not distinctive, nor the descending, successively few flowered inflorescence, the flowers however are instantly recognizable. The sepals, densely pubescent within, are greenish white with dark purple suffusion on the inner halves. The oblong, lateral sepals diverge 180 degrees. The small lip is thick and the epichile is acutely deflexed upon the hypochile. The outer surface of the pedichile and the column are minutely spiculate." Luer 1993
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * AOS Bullettin 58(10): 1005. 1989; Thesaurus Dracularum Vol 4 Luer, Escobar and Dalstroem 1991 watercolor/drawing fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 1 COS 1990 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV Luer 2002 drawing fide; Orchid Digest Vol 61 #4 1997 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 65 No 6 2000 photo; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 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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