Masdevallia fragrans Woodward 18931994 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Coriaceae SUBSECTION Coriaceae Rchb.f 1874
Photos by © S Manning and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
Common Name The Fragrant Masdevallia
Flower Size 2" [5 cm]
Found in northeastern Colombia at elevations of 3000 to 3500 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with erect stout ramicuals enveloped by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thickly coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a stout, suberect, .8 to 2.8" [2 to 7 cm] long, single flowered inflorecence with a bract at the base, arising from low on the ramicaul and has a tubular floral bract.
Kew has had this species as a synonym of M civilis but that species is first a terrestrial and secondly the flower and the plant are much smaller among other differences with the lip and the attitude of the pedicel and inflorescence.
Synonyms Byrsella fragrans (Woolward) Luer 2006; Masdevallia leontoglossa Rchb.f. 1887
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidilogia Vol 16 #1 1983 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXI Systematics of Masdevallia Part 2 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Byrsella fragrans ; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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