Masdevallia agaster Luer 1979 subgen. Masdevallia sect. Masdevallia subsect Saltatrices [Rchb.f] Luer 1986

Side View of FlowerPhoto courtesy of Donna Nash

Specimen plant Photo courtesy of Dale and Deni Borders

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Common Name The Flat Masdevallia

Flower Size 3/4" [2 cm]

This species is a miniature sized, creeping, caespitose, warm to cool growing epiphyte found in Peru and Ecuador around elevations of 1500 to 2000 meters on mossy trees in wet montane forest with year round rainfall. This orchid has short, terete, channeled ramicauls enveloped basallly by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths with a single, apical, oblong-lanceolate, acute leaf with a long, channeled, petiolate base, which is as long as the blade, from which blooms, on an basal, erect, slender, 1 1/2 " [4 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul with a bract near the base and a tubular floral bract holding the fragrant flower [which smells of coconut] below or amid the leaves and occuring in the fall and winter. This plant is a cold growing species that likes high humidity, shade and potted in a chopped mixture of tree fern, fir bark, perlite and sphagnum moss. This species is distinguished by having a long floral tube, recurved sepal tails and a throat covered with prominent non-glandular trichomes.

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Systematics of Madevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 286 Bennett & Christenson 1995; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 COS 2002; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXIII Systematics of Masdevallia Part 4 Luer 2002