Masdevallia rimarima-alba Luer 1979 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Masdevallia SUBSECTION Masdevallia
Photo courtesy of © Lourens Grobler
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name The White Rima-Rima [A Peruvian Medicinal plant in Quechua - white form]
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in Peru in damp, scrubby cloud forests at elevations around 2500 meters as a miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte or terrestrial with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, petiolate, elliptical-obovate, subacute leaf that gradually narrows below into the petiole from which arises in the fall from low on the ramicaul a slender, erect, pedunculate, 6" [15 cm] long , single flowered inflorescence with a bract below the middle and a tubular floral bract.
This species is very similar to M uniflora which is pink and called rima-rima by the Incan locals as a medicinal plant, it differs by being white flowered, the locals call it rima-rima "white" as well, and it also has medicinal vitues. For what I aim to find out.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Orchid Digerst Vol 64 #2 2000 drawing/photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 685 Bennett & Christenson 2001 drawing ok; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXII Systematics of Masdevallia Part 3 Luer 2001 drawing fide; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Orquideas del Peru Freuler 2010 photo fide; Las Orquideas del Peru Izerskyy & Bezverhov 2011 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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