Masdevallia dura Luer 1978 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Durae [Luer] Luer 2000 TYPE For the Section

Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt,

TYPE Drawing

TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer

to

Common Name The Hard Masdevallis [Refers to the rigid leaves and flowers]

Flower Size 2" [5 cm]

Found in southern Ecuador and northern Peru on trunks of fallen trees at elevations of 2200 to 3150 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphytic species with stout erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, thickly coriaceous, rigid leaf with a linear to elliptcal, obtuse blade that becomes narrowly cuneate below into the channeled petiole. This species blooms on a successively flowered, congested, descending to pendant, racemose, 9 1/4" to 16" [23 to 40 cm]long inflorescence with 4 to 5 bracts and thin imbricating floral bracts all arising from low on the ramicaul.

The plants have hard leaves and rigid, successive flowers that are ever lengthening and becoming pendant so as to stay in bloom for years.

Synonyms Regalia dura (Luer) Luer 2006

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986 drawing fide; 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 Regalia dura ; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Regalia dura drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;

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