Masdevallia polysticta Rchb. f. 1874 SUBGENUS Amanda Luer 1986
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
Photos courtesy of © Lourens Grobler.
What was considered to be M spathulifolia
Photos by © Tom Sijm
LATE EARLY
Common Name The Many-Spotted Masdevallia
Flower Size 2" [5 cm]
Found in Ecuador and Peru at elevations of 1600 to 3000 meters as a small sized, cool to cold growing orchid with stout, ascending to erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, subspathulate or oblanceolate leaf with a rounded and minutely tridentate apex, and cuneate below into the slender petiole that blooms in the late spring, summer, fall and early winter on an erect, 6 to 12" [15 to 30 cm] long, pale green - purple spotted inflorescence with loosely 3 to 9 simultaneously opening flowers that are held above the leaves.
Either potted or mounted, with sphagnum around the roots, works for this species as long as cold to cool temperatures and moderate light are given and never allowed to completely dry out.
Synonyms Masdevallia huebschiana Kraenzl. 1921; Masdevallia polysticta subsp. spathulifolia (Kraenzl.) Luer 1988; Masdevallia spathulifolia Kraenzl. 1925; Spilotantha polysticta (Rchb.f.) Luer 2006; Spilotantha pozoi (Königer) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 photo ok; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 drawing fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 7 385 - 448 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1975; AOS Bulletin Vol 51 No 3 1982 photo fide; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986 as Masdevallia huebschiana; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986 as Masdevallia spathulifolia; Orchids Travel By Air A Pictoral Safari Mulder, Mulder-Roelfsema and Schuiteman 1990 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 60 #3 1996 photo fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 as M polysticta ssp spathulifoliaphoto fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXV Systematics of Masdevallia Part Five Luer 2003 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Spilotantha polysticta; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Spilotantha polysticta drawing fide; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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