Masdevallia acrochordonia Rchb.f. 1874 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986

Photo courtesy of Dale and Deni Borders

Common Name The Warty Masdevallia [refers to the interior of the sepals]

Flower Size 2" [5 cm]

Found in Ecuador at elevations around 2200 meters as a miniature to just small sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3, loose, tubualr sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, ellitpical, subacute to obtuse, narrowly cuneate below into the petiolate bsae leaf that blooms in the fall on a subcongested, [20 to 25 cm] long, successively flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul and with a bract at the base and a thin tubular floral bract.

Often cited as a synonym of M trochiolus but differs in the smaller habit [than M trochilus] and usually smaller flowers, shorter peduncles, a shorter sepaline tube, and a shallowly concave, boat-like synsepal that does not abruptly inflated, the curved sides are close to erect and exposes the interior. The acute petals and the pandurate lip has the hypochile significantly broader.

Synonyms Alaticaulia acrochordonia (Rchb.f.) Luer 2006; Masdevallia ephippium var acrochordonia [Rchb.f] Woolw. 1892

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Bonplandia Rchb.f 1874; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXII Systematics of Masdevallia Part 3 Luer 2001 drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia acrochordonia; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Alaticaulia acrochordonia drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;

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