Dracula inexperata Pupulin 2001 SUBGENUS Dracula SECTION Dracula SUBSECTION Dracula SERIES Grandiflorae-Parvilabiate Luer 1993
Photos by © Daniel Jimenez G. in Costa Rica
TYPE Drawing by © Franco Pupulin
Common Name The Unexpected Dracula [refers to the discovery of this showy species in a very visited spot]
Flower Size 3.6" [9 cm]
Found in Cartago province of Costa Rica at elevations around 1100 to 1200 meters as a miniature to small sized, cool growing epiphyte with short, stout ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, carinate, acute, lightly acuminate, gradually narrowing below into the indistinct, conduplicate petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on a pendant, successively single, to 5.6" [to 14 cm] long, few flowered, terete inflorescence arising from the base of the ramicaul with 2 to 3 distant, tubular bracts and an ovate, cucullate, acute, shorter than the pedicel floral bract.
"Similar to Dracula spectrum but with a smooth ovary, triangular sepals that are papillose-pubecent within, and a subpandurate, concave lip with receding lamellae." Pupulin 2001
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * American Orchid Society "Orchids" Vol 70 #6 Pupulin 2001 drawing/photo fide; Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Vanishing Beauty, Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 1 Pupulin 2005 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 4 2006 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #8 2016 photo fide;
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