Masdevallia posadae Luer & R. Escobar 1982 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986
Photo by Richard Korber
Photo by Eric Hunt, plant grown by SF Conservatory of Flowers
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
to 
Common Name Posada's Masdevallia [Colombian Orchid Nurseryman 20th cen]
Flower Size 3/4" [2 cm]
Found in Nariño department of Colombia and Junin department of northern Peru in cloud forests at elevations of 900 to 1200 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm to cool growing, caespitose epiphyte with stout, erect ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, thickly coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, cuneate below into the channeled, stout petiolate base leaf that blooms on an erect, arising from low on the ramicaul with a basal bract, subcongested, 4.8" to 9.8" [12 to 24 cm] long, successively single flowered raceme with foliaceous, imbricating, shorter than the pedicel floral bracts carrying the rapidly successive flowers held above the leaf.
"Closely related to M trochilus but characterized by the long, stout peduncle that bears a subdense, successively large-flowered raceme. The flowrs are produced in rapid successionbecause a flower is often accompanied by a large bud. The sepals are connate into a cylindrical tube. The dorsal sepal is orange, suffused with brown, and the erect tail is also orange. The lateral sepals are deeply connate into a dark purple, expanded synsepal that is coursed by thickened veins. The obtuse apices are abruptly contracted into descending yellow-green tails. The petals are oblong, obtuse and longitudinally callous on the lower half. The lip is divided by obtuse folds into an ovate, acuminate epichile and an oblong hypochile." Luer 2000
Synonyms Alaticaulia posadae (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2006; Masdevallia sijmiana Koniger 1995
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 COS 1991 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 288 Bennett & Christenson 1995; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XIX Systematics of Masdevallia Part 1 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXV Systematics of Masdevallia Part Five Luer 2003; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia posadae; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007
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