Masdevallia nikoleana Luer & J.Portilla 2000 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Masdevallia SUBSECTION Oscillantes Luer 1986
Photo by © Lourens Grobler
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name Nikole's Masdevallia [Ecuadorian Daughter of Jose Portilla Orchid Nurseryman Current]
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Zamora-Chinchipe province of Ecuador and Amazonas department of Peru at elevations around 1800 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing, caepitose epiphyte with stout, erect, blackish ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 dark, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on a slender, arising from low on the ramicaul with a bract near the base, suberect, .8 to 1" [2 to 2.5 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence with a tubular, just shorter than the pedicel floral bract.
Very similar to M ortalis but differs in the tip of the petal that is acute and not tridentate as in M ortalis, and M nikoleana has a flat flower on a shorter inflorescence and has clear green leaves.
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XX Systematics of Jostia, Andinia, Barbosella, Barbrodia & Pleurothallis subgen Antilla, Effusia and Restrepioidia Luer 2000 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIII Masdevallia Part 4 Luer 2002 drawing fide; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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