Masdevallia reichenbachiana Endres 1875 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Reichenbachianae Woolw. 1896
Photo by Andy Philips courtesy of Andy's Orchids Copyright © 2002 All rights reserved.
Photo by Daniel Jimenez © .
Photo by Patricia Harding.
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Common Name Reichenbach's Masdevallia [German Orchidologist 1800's]
Flower Size to almost 3" [to almost 7.5 cm]
Found in Costa Rica where it is endemic in dense, wet, cloud forests, low on mossy tree trunks, at altitudes of 1500 to 2200 meters as a miniature sized, cool to cold growing, epiphytic species was collected with cylindric, 1/2 to 1" [1.25 to 2.5 cm] long stems enveloped by 2 to 3 thin, tubular bracts carrying a single, apical, fleshy, oblanceolate, coriaceous, keeled below, minutely tridentate apically leaf that blooms in spring and summer with a slender, erect, 7 to 8" [17.5 to 20 cm] long, terete, bright green inflorescence with an ovate, apiculate bract that carries 1 to 3, spreading flowers opening in succession and held above leaf height.
This species is similar to M schroederiana but differs in having shorter tails and a less curved column. This species and M rolfeana can also be confused but this species does not have maroon flowers.
Synonyms Masdevallia funebris Endres ex Kraenzl. 1921; Masdevallia normanii Hort. 1881; Masdevallia reichenbachiana var. aurantiaca Rchb.f. 1883; Masdevallia reichenbachiana var. funebris (Endres ex Kraenzl.) Kraenzl. 1925; Reichantha reichenbachiana (Endrés ex Rchb.f.) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 93. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 51 No 3 1982 photo fide; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb & Launert 1992 photo fide; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1455 Atwood 1993 drawing fide; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1455a Atwood 1993 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXI Systematics of Masdevallia Part 2 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #8 2015 drawing fide; Vanishing Beauty, Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 2 Lacaena to Pteroglossa Pupulin 2020 photo fide
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