Masdevallia amabilis Rchb.f & Warsc. 1854 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Masdevallia SUBSECTION Coccineae Veitch 1889 Photo courtesy of Patricia Harding

An Alba Version Photo courtesy of Lourens Grobler

to THROUGH

Common Name The Lovely Masdevallia

Flower Size 1 3/8" [3.6 cm]

From Northern Peru at altitudes of 2000 to 5300 meters as an terrestrial or lithophytic, cold to warm growing orchid from cool montane forests and on rocky slopes in intense sunlight with a very short, inconspicuous ramicaul encased by 2 to 3 short, tubular membraneous sheaths with erect, coriaceous, oblanceolate, acute, leaves with a deep furrow down the center into the channeled petiole that blooms on an apical, erect, reclining or horizontal, slender, terete, to 12" [30 cm] long, inflorescence with two distant tubular bracts occuring in the summer through winter with solitary flowers held way above the leaves. The most distinguishing factor of this species is the elongate inflorescence with crimson-red to purple, white or orange flowers. Shy bloomers are encouraged to bloom by increasing the light levels to where the leaves just slightly start to yellow.

Synonyms Masdevallia flammula H.Mohr & Braas 1984; Masdevallia venusta Schltr. 1921

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 No 10 1985 photo; Systematics of Madevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 287 Bennett & Christenson 1995; AOS Bulletin Vol 69 No 2 2000 photo; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXV Systematics of Masdevallia Part Five 2005; Orchid Digest Vol 72 No 4 2008 photo