Masdevallia draconis Luer & Andreetta 1988 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986
Photo by Roellke Orchideen GBR Website
Photo by Ecuagenera and their Ecuador Orchid Website
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name or Meaning The Dragon-Like Masdevallia [refers to the lip shape]
Flower Size .4" [1 cm]
Found in Morona-Santiago province of southern Ecuador at elevations around 1100 to 1500 meters as a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with stout, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, subacute, narrowly cuneate below into the slender petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter and summer on a suberect to erect, arising from low on the ramicaul, with a bract at the base, stout, triquetrous, 10.4" [26 cm] long, congested, successively single flowered inflorescence with imbricating, shorter than the pedicel floral bract.
"Similar to M melanoxantha and M scobina but distinguished by a stout peduncle that far exceeds the leaf in length and bears the flower successively. The sepals are connate into a short cup. The thickened, narrowed apex of the dorsal sepal is lighty verrucose. The lateral sepals are connate and tailess forming a lightly verrucose synsepal with revolute sides. The dark purple lip is divided near the middle be verrucose folds into a markedly verrucose epichile a witjh a verrucose callus beneath and a rounded hypochile.
Synonyms Alaticaulia draconis (Luer & Andreetta) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XIX Masdevallia Part 1 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia draconis ; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Alaticaulia draconis drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
