Masdevallia caesia Roezl 1881 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Coriaceae SUBSECTION Coriaceae [Rchb.f]Veitch 1889 Photo by © Jay Pfahl

Another Angle Photo by © John Varigos and His Orchid webpage

Plant and Flower Photo courtesy of Weyman Bussey, plant grown by Jim Hamilton

Plant and Flowers Photo by Eric Hunt, plant grown by Golden Gate Orchids

Common Name The Blue-Gray Masdevallia [refers to the leaves color]

Flower Size 5 to 9 1/2" [12.5 to 23 cm]

A large sized, pendant, cold to cool growing and flowering epiphytic species found in southwestern Colombia in cloud forests at elevations of 1600 to 2200 meters with stout descending ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, suffused with bluish purple, narrowly obovate, obtuse leaf that is gradually narrowed into the base, blooming on a descending, 1 to 2" [2.5 to 5 cm] long, purple dotted, single flowered inflorescence arising from near the base of the ramicaul with a basal bract and a tubular floral bract holding the large, stinking flower amid the leaves.

Synonyms Byrsella caesia (Roezl) Luer 2006; Masdevallia deorsum Rolfe 1900; Masdevallia metallica F.Lehm. & Kraenzl. 1925

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 COS 1991 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 62 No 6 1993 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 65 Vol 7 1996; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXI Systematics of Masdevallia Part 2 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007 photo fide;

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