Masdevallia colossus Luer 1978 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Coriaceae SUBSECTION Coriaceae Rchb.f 1874
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
Photo courtesy of © Lourens Grobler
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
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Common Name The Gigantic Masdevallia
Flower Size 1 3/5" [4 cm]
Found in Peru and Ecuador as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte at elevations of 2000 to 2500 meters in cloud forests with stout, erect to suberect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse to rounded leaf that is cuneate below into the channeled petiole blooming in the fall and winter on a slender, suberect, 1 3/2" to 4 2/5" [4 to 11 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul, with a bract near the base and a tubular floral bract with the malodorous flower held at mid-leaf.
Synonyms Byrsella colossus (Luer) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; AOS Bulletin Vol 65 Vol 7 1996; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXI Systematics of Masdevallia Part 2 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Byrsella colossus ; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Byrsella collossus drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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