Masdevallia melanopus Rchb.f 1874 SUBGENUS Amanda SECTION Amandae Rchb.f 1874

Plant and Flower Photos by © SFO section Nord

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Common Name The Black Column Foot Masdevallia

Flower Size about 1" [about 2.5 cm]

Found in northwestern Peru in damp, forested, semi-arid valleys at elevations of 2300 to 2500 meters as a miniature sized, cold to cool growing species with slender, erect, ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, oblanceolate, tapering to the long petiolate base leaf that blooms on an erect, slender, terete, to 10" [25 cm] long, racemose inflorescence from low on the ramicaul that is longer than the leaves and carries 3 to 8 flowers occuring in the summer.

Synonyms Spilotantha melanopus (Rchb.f.) Luer 2006; Spilotantha xanthodactyla (Rchb.f.) Luer 2006

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXV Systematics of Masdevallia Part Five 2005 drawing ok; Flora of Ecuador No 84; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Spilotantha melanopus drawing ok;

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