Masdevallia hystrix Luer & Hirtz 1986 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Coriaceae SUBSETION Coriaceae [Rchb.f]Veitch 1889 Photo by © Tom Ballinger and his Flickr Orchid Photo Website

Another Color Form Photo by © Lourens Grobler

Common Name The Porcupine Masdevallia [refers to the prickly lip]

Flower Size 2" [5 cm]

Found in Loja Ecuador in tall forests at elevations around 2500 meters as a miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with stout, erect to suberect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect to suberect, coriaceous, subconduplicate, narrowly oblong, obtuse, cuneate below into the indistinct, subpetiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a suberect, stout, 1.6 to 3.2" [4 to 8 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul with a basal bract and a tubular floral bract.

CAUTION The first photo is very similar to Luer's drawing but there are no lip and petal details, the second photo, is not right with coloration and shape but the lip and petals are similar.

Synonyms Byrsella hystrix (Luer & Hirtz) Luer 2006

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXI Systematics of Masdevallia Part 2 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 photo fide; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as byrsella hystrix drawing ok

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