Masdevallia don-quijote Luer & Andreetta 1985 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules {Krzl.] Luer 1986
Photos courtesy of Marius Wasbauer
Another Plant Photo courtesy of Joseph Dougherty
to 
Common Name Refers to the flowers forward facing long, lance-like dorsal sepal, and the lateral sepals resembling the bowed legs of a horseman carrying a lance that brings to mind the fictional character]
Flower Size 2" [5 cm]
Found as a small sized, cool to warm growing epiphyte in Ecuador at elevations of 1000 to 1700 meters with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical , thickly coriaceous, erect, elliptical, acute, gradually narrowing below into the stout petiole that blooms in the spring on a congested, racemose, successively flowered, slender, erect, triquetrous, 8 to 12" [20 to 30 cm] long inflorescence that arises from the base of the ramicaul with imbricating floral bracts.
Synonyms Alaticaulia don-quijote (Luer & Andreetta) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 288 Bennett & Christenson 1995; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XIX Systematics of Masdevallia Part 1 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 drawing/photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXV Systematics of Masdevallia Part Five 2005; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Alaticaulia don quijote drawing fide
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
