Masdevallia nikoleana Luer & J.Portilla 2000 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Masdevallia SUBSECTION Oscillantes Luer 1986 Photo by © Lourens Grobler

Common Name The Nikole's Masdevallia [Ecuadorian Daughter of Jose Portilla Orchid Nurseryman Current]

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Ecuador and Peru at elevations around 1800 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with stout, erect, blackish ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 dark, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on a slender, suberect, .8 to 1" [2 to 2.5 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul with a bract near the base and tubular floral bracts..

Very similar to M ortalis but differs in the tip of the petal that is acute and not tridentate as in M ortalis, and M nikoleana has a flat flower on a shorter inflorescence and has clear green leaves

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI; *Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XX Luer 2000 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIII Part 4 Masdevallia Luer 2002 drawing fide; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 drawing fide;

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