Masdevallia merinoi Luer & J.J. Portilla 1999 SUBGENUS Pygmaeia SECTION Amaluzae SUBSECTION Amaluzae Luer 1986
Photo courtesy of Lisa Thoerle
Photo by The Ecuagenera Website
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name Merino's Masdevallia [Ecuadorian collector of Species current]
Flower Size 3/4" [2 cm]
Found in Zamora-Chinchipe province of southern Ecuador in cloud forests at elevations around 1600 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing, caespitose epiphyte with slender, erect, ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute leaf that is cuneate below into a petiole and blooms on an suberect to horizontal, arising from low on the ramicaul, provided with a bract near the base and another on the lower quarter , slender, 1/4 to 1/3" [7 to 8 mm] long, successively few flowered inflorescence with a tubular, shorter to as long as the pedicel floral bract.
"Closest to Masdevallia manchinazae but differs in the larger flower with the sepaline tube thrice longer and the lateral sepals are free a short distance beyond the tube. The laterral sepals of M manchinazae are deeply connate far beyond the tube. Except for being larger the petals and lip are basically similar. The lip of M merinoi is minutely verrucose with the verrucae low and elongate with the apex rounded and minutely erose. The lip of M machinaazae is smooth and entire." Luer 1999
Synonyms Luzama merinoi (Luer & J.Portilla) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVIII Systematics of Pleurothallis subsection Antenniferae, Longiracemosae, Macrophyllae-Racemosae and Subgenera Pseudsostelis and Acuminata Luer 1999drawing 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 not = M patula; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 drawing/photo fide; A Treasure of Masdevallia Vol 27 Luer & Dalstroem 2004 watercolor fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Luzama merinoi; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Luzama merinoi drawing ok
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