Masdevallia scitula Königer 1981 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986
Photos by © Klaus Eisses and Infojardin Orchid Photo Website
Drawing by © Carl Luer and Epidendra Orchid Page
Common Name The Pretty Masdevallia
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Junin department of Peru at elevations around 3000 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3, close, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceouse, narrowly elliptical, subacute, cuneate below into the slender, indistinct petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a slender, arising from the base of the ramicaul, with a bract at the base, erect, triquetrous, 3.6" to 4.4" [9 to 11 cm] long, purple flecked, congested, successively few flowered inflorescence with tubular, imbricating, shorter than the pedicel floral bracts.
"The slender peduncle is about as long as or longer than the leaf. Often a second flower opens before the previous flower fades. The sepals are connate into a short, cylindrical tube with the synsepal expanded beyond with minutely cellular-spiculate clumps on the inner surface. The callous lower half of the petals ends in an obtuse protuberance while a small marginal lobule is present above the base on the upper margin. The epichile of the lip is apiculate." Luer 2000
Synonyms Alaticaulia scitula (Königer) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XIX Masdevallia Part 1 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia scitula; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Masdevallia in Detail Vol 5 Sijm etal 2010 photo/drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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