Masdevallia murex Luer 1982 subgen. Masdevallia sect. Coriaceae subsect Coriaceae [Rchb.f]Veitch 1889 Photo by © Eric Hunt and His Orchid Website.

Another Flower View Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt, plant grown by SF Conservatory of Flowers

Common Name Triton's Horn Masdevallia

Flower Size 5/8" [1.5 cm]

An Ecuadorian and Peruvian cloud forest, small sized, caepitoese epiphyte found in wet montane forests at elevations of 1800 meters and as such is a cool grower that likes high humidity and even year round waterings and has a 1" + ramicaul enveloped basally by 3 loose, tubular, scarious sheaths with ligulate-oblanceolate, minutely bilobed, coriaceous, dark green leaf that blooms on an ascending, 1 1/2 [4 cm] long, purple suffused, solitary flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul with a single, tubular, acuminate floral bract and with the campanulate flower held at or below leaf height occuring in the summer. This species is distinguished by the fleshy floral segments, the arcuate, keeled lip and it's verruculose apex.

Synonyms Byrsella murex (Luer) Luer 2006

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Systematics of Madevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 089 Bennett & Christenson 1993; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXI Systematics of Masdevallia Part 2 Luer 2000; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 COS 2002;

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------