Dracula benedictii (Rchb. f.) Luer 1978 SUBGENUS Dracula SECTION Dracula SUBSECTION Dracula SERIES Parviflorae Photo courtesy of © Lourens Grobler

Plant and Flowers Photos courtesy of Eric Hunt, plant grown by SF Conservatory of Flowers

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Common Name Bennedict's Dracula [Roezl, Bohemian Orchid Collector and discoverer of species]

Flower Size 1 1/2" [4 cm]

Found in central Colombia in cloud forests at elevations of 1700 to 2300 meters as a cool to cold growing epiphyte with slender, erect, ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thinly coriaceous, very narrowly obovate to linear, acute, gradually narrowing below intothe conduplicate, subpetiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring and summer on a congested, purplish, horizontal to descending, 3" [7.5 cm] long, successively few flowered inflorescence arising form low on the ramicaul with bracts at each joint of the scape and tubular floral bracts.

Synonyms Dracula benedictii var. hubeinii (Luer) Hermans 1997; Dracula hubeinii Luer 1980; Dracula troglodytes (E. Morren) Luer 1978; *Masdevallia benedicti Rchb. f. 1874; Masdevallia troglodytes E. Morren 1877

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1874 as Masdevallia benedicti drawing; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Masdevallia troglodytees; Thesaurus Dracularum Vol 2 Luer, Ecobar and Dalstroem 1989 watercolor/drawing fide; Native Colombian Orchid Vol 1 COS 1990 photo ok; Icones Pleurothallidinarum X Systematics of Dracula Luer 1993 drawing fide; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007 photo fide; Orquideeologia Vol 26 No 1 2009 photo;

Dracula benedictii var. hubeinii (Luer) Hermans 1997 Photo by © Eric Hunt and His Orchid Website

A color variety of the previous species

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