Masdevallia heideri Königer 1981 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Masdevallia SUBSECTION Masdevallia Photo courtesy of Richard Korber

Plant and Flower Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt, plant grown by Hanging Gardens

Common Name Heider's Masdevallia [German Orchid Enthusiast and Collector in Bolivia 20th cen.]

Flower Size 3/4" [2 cm]

From central Bolivia in cloud forests at elevations of 1700 to 2100 meters and is a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with blackish, slender, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, petiolate, elliptical, subacute leaf that is cuneate below into the blackish petiole that blooms on a slender, suberect, 3/5" to 1 1/5" [1.5 to 3 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul and a bract above the base and a floral bract that holds the solitary flower below the leaves.

CAUTION I am very unsure of the determination of the first photo, fits Luer's drawings in every respect except the photo has 3 flowers and they look like they are on the same inflorescence? M heideri is a single flowered species as can be seen in the second photo which is correct

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXII Systematics of Masdevallia Part 3 Luer 2001 drawing

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