Masdevallia vargasii C. Schweinf. 1950 subgen. Polyantha sect. Alaticaules subsect. Alaticaules {Krzl.] Luer 1986 Photo courtesy of Erica Moron de Abad © and Her Biorquidtropic Peru Lab Web Page

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Common Name Vargas' Masdevallia [Peruvian Discoverer of Species 1900's]

Flower Size 3/8" [1cm]

A Colombian, Peruvian, Bolivian, Brazilian and Ecuadorian, small sized, caespitose epiphyte of wet montane forests in the foothills at an altitude of 800-2500 meters 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 blooming in the spring with erect to suberect, 8" [20 cm] long, successively several flowered inflorescence arising from the base of the ramicaul with a basal bract and white, ovate, imbricating 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 Masdevallia helgae Königer & J.Portilla 1997; Masdevallia megaloglossa Luer & Escobar 1982; Masdevallia richteri Pabst 1975

References W3 Tropicos [http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html] , Kew Monocot list [ http://www.kew.org/wcsp/home.do ], IPNI [ http://www.us.ipni.org/ipni/plantsearch?request_type=search&output_format=query&ret_defaults=on Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 304 Bennett & Christenson 1995; Orquideas del Peru Freuler 2010 photo good

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