Masdevallia aurea Luer 1978 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Masdevallia SUBSECTION Saltatrices [Rchb.f] Luer 1986
Photo by © Ecuagenera
Photo courtesy of © Lourens Grobler
Photo courtesy of © Dale Borders
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name The Golden Masdevallia
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in southeastern Ecuador at elevations of 1100 to 1700 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptic, subacute, cunaete below into the channeled petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring and summer on a slender, erect, 1 to 1.2" [2.5 to 3 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul with a bract near the base and a tubular floral bract.
Synonyms Masdevallia santiagoorum Königer 1997
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; A Treasure of Masdevallia Vol 24 Luer & Dalstroem 1999 watercolor/drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXIII Masdevallia Part 4 Luer 2002; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 drawing fide; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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