Masdevallia amanda Rchb. f. 1854 SUBGENUS Amanda Luer 1986 TYPE for the Subgenus
Photo by © Andreas Phillip
Flower in situ Jardin Colombia 1/2016
Side View of Flower in situ Jardin Colombia 1/2016
Side View of Plant and Flower in situ Jardin Colombia 1/2016
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
MOSTLY
and 
Common Name The Enchanting Masdevallia
Flower Size 3/8 to 3/4" [1.5 to 2 cm]
Found in Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador on exposed rock faces and tree banches in cool to cold cloud forests at elevations of 1800 to 3000 meters as a mini-miniature to miniature sized, cool to cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with very short, inconspicuous ramicauls with oblong-elliptic leaves, atttenuate to the shortly petiolate base, coriaceous, clear green leaf with a retuse apex that blooms on an erect, 4 1/2 to 5" [12 to 16 cm] long, 1 to 4 flowered, scapose raceme that is held above the leaves and carrying campanulate flowers with floral bracts that are the same size as the ovary occuring at any time but mostly in the winter and spring.
This species can be separated from others by its racemose inflorescence, the shortly connate sepals, the strongly arched dorsal sepal and the keeled petals that are tridentate and serrulate.
Synonyms Masdevallia calopterocarpa Rchb.f. 1886; Masdevallia gustavii Rchb.f. 1875; Masdevallia oligantha Schltr.1920; Masdevallia remotiflora Kraenzl. 1921; Spilotantha amanda (Rchb.f. & Warsz.) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1854; Die Orchideen der Sudamerikanischen Kordillerenstaaten II Colombia Schlechter 1920 as M oligantha; AOS Bulletin Vol 49 #7 1979 drawing fide; Orquideologia Vol 16 No 1 1983; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986 drawing fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 COS 1991 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 288 Bennett & Christenson 1995 drawing fide; Madevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXV Systematics of Masdevallia Part Five Luer 2003 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXVIII Luer 2006 as Spilotantha amanda; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Spilotantha amanda drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 photo ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #1 2016 photo fide; Orquideas de Farallones de Cali Galindo-Tarazona, Haelterman, Zuluaga Trochez and Sebastian Moreno 2020 photo fide
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