Masdevallia chaetostoma Luer 1978 SUBGENUS Amanda Luer 1986
Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name The Hirsute Mouth Masdevallia
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Ecuador on the western slopes of the Andes at elevations of 2000 to 3300 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte or terrestrial with slender ramiucals enveloped by a loose, ribbed, tubular sheath and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, obovate, obtuse to subacute, tridenticulate, gradually cuneate below into the grooved, petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter on an erect, 3.6" to 5.2" [9 to 13 cm] long, subsecund, loosely few flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul with a loose, oblique floral bract.
CAUTION I am not happy with this determination as there are no visible hairs within the mouth of the opening as the name implies so please use with caution. Other than the hairs all other conditions are met with this species. The TYPE Drawing is absolutely correct!
Synonyms Spilotantha chaetostoma (Luer) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 drawing/photo fide other than the hairs of the throat; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXV Masdevallia Part 5 Luer 2003 drawing fide other than the hairs of the throat; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Spilotantha chaetostoma; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Spilotantha chaetostoma drawing fide other than the hairs of the throat; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide other than the hairs of the throat;
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