Masdevallia atahualpa Luer 1982 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Coriaceae SUBSECTION Coriaceae Rchb.f 1874
Photo by Isaias Rolando
Photo by Erica Moron de Abad © and Her Biorquidtropic Peru Lab Web Page
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name Atahualpa's Masdevallia [Last King of the Incas]
Flower Size 1 1/5" [3 cm]
Found in northwestern Peru at elevations of 3000 to 3100 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with stout, erect to suberect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect to suberect, thickly coriaceous, oblong, obtuse leaf that is cuneate below into the stout petiole that blooms in the spring an suberect, stout, 1 1/5 to 1 4/5" [3 to 4.5 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul with a thin basal bract and a losse tubular floral bract holding the large, fleshy flower at the base of the leaf blade.
Synonyms Byrsella atahualpa (Luer) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
*Selbyana 7: 102 Luer 1982 drawing fide; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Orchid Digest Vol 60 #3 1996 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXI Systematics of Masdevallia Part 2 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Madevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXVIII Luer 2006 as Byrsella atahualpa; Las Orquideas del Peru Izerskyy & Bezverhov 2011 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #12 2016 photo fide;
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