Dracula simia (Luer) Luer 1978 Subgenus Dracula Section Dracula Subsection Dracula Series Dracula Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt

Plant and Flowers Photos courtesy of © Lourens Grobler

Common Name The Monkey-Like Dracula

Flower Size 2 x 6" [5 x 15 cm]

A southeastern Ecuadorian species in cloud forests from elevations of 1000 to 2000 meters as a small sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheatsh and carrying a single, apical, erect, thinly coriaceous, carinate, narrowly elliptiacl-linear, acute, gradually narrowing below into the conduplicate, indistinct, subpetilate base leaf that blooms in the winter, spring and fall on a stout, subverrucose, sparsely bracted, horizontal to descending, 4 to 6" [10 t o15 cm] long, congested, successively few flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul and carrying a tubular floral bract and with large flowers resembling a monkey's face.

Synonyms *Masdevallia simia Luer 1978

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum X Systematics of Dracula Luer 1993