Masdevallia cerastes Luer & R. Escobar 1978 SUBGENUS Cucullatia Luer 2002 Photo by © Andreas Philipp

Flower Closeup Photo courtesy of © Lourens Grobler

Another Flower Photo courtesy of Patricia Harding

Another Color Form Photo courtesy of Dale and Deni Borders

Common Name The Horned Snake Masdevallia [refers to the shape of the flower]

Flower Size 2" [5 cm]

This is a southern Colombian species in the department of Putumayo on the eastern slopes in cloud forests at elevations of 2200 to 2600 meters as a small to medium sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with stout, channeled, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 1 to 2 shorter sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coricaeous, elliptical, obtuse leaf that is cuneate below into the channeled petiole that blooms in the summer on a very short, erect, single flowered inflorescence arising from high on the ramicaul carrying inflated, oblique, obtuse floral bracts with the flower held below the leaves.

Synonyms Megema cerastes (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2006

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Orquideologia Vol 13 No 1 1978 photo/drawing/herbarium sheet fide; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXV Systematics of Masdevallia Part Five 2005 drawing fide; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007 photo fide;

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