Masdevallia vargasii C. Schweinf. 1950 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986
Photo by © Lourens Grobler
Photo by Erica Moron de Abad © and Her Biorquidtropic Peru Lab Web Page
What was considered to be M megaloglossa
Photo by Rodrigo Escobar
Drawings by © Carl Luer
to 
Common Name Vargas' Masdevallia [Peruvian Discoverer of Species 1900's]
Flower Size 3/8" [1cm]
Found in Putumayo and Vaup[es states of Colombia, Morona-Santiago, Pastaza, Zamora-chinchipe provinces of Ecuador, Cusco and Junin departments of Peru,La Paz and Cochabamba departments of Bolivia and Amazonas stste of Brazil in wet montane forests in the foothills at an altitude of 200 to 900 meters as a miniature sized, caespitose, hot to warm growing epiphyte with a minute, ramicaul that is enveloped by 3 or more tubular bracts carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, oblong-oblanceolate, tapered to the channeled base leaf with the apex emarginate with a central apicule that blooms in the spring on an erect to suberect, arising from the base of the ramicaul with a basal bract, 8" [20 cm] long, successively several flowered inflorescence and white, ovate, imbricating, as long to longer than the pedicel floral bracts holding the single flower above the leaves.
Blooms more than once a year from the old spikes. The characteristics that separate this species from others are, the yellow flowers and the two raised keels on the labellum.
Synonyms Alaticaulia vargasii (C.Schweinf.) Luer 2006; Masdevallia megaloglossa Luer & Escobar 1982; Masdevallia richteri Pabst 1975
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae Brasilense Band 1 Pabst & Dungs 1975 as M richteri drawing fide; *Orquideologia Vol 15 #2-3 1982 as M megaloglossa drawing fide; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 304 Bennett & Christenson 1995 Drawing fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 6 COS 1998 as M megaloglossa photo hmm; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XIX Systematics of Masdevallia Part 1 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 as M megaloglossa photo hmm?; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia vargasii; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Alaticaulia vargasii drawing fide; Orquideas del Peru Freuler 2010 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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