Masdevallia rigens Luer 1979 subgen. Masdevallia sect. Coriaceae subsect Coriaceae [Rchb.f]Veitch 1889 Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt, plant grown by the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

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Common Name refers to the stiff vegatable and flower parts

Flower Size 3/4" [2 cm]

Found only in the valley of Cajamarca Peru in wet montane forests as a small sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte at elevations of 300 to 600 meters with an erect, stout ramicaul enveloped basally by 2 to 3 close, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, suberect, thickly coriaceous, rigid, narrowly elliptic-linear, dull green, subpetiolate to sessile leaf that has a, from low on the ramicaul, a stout, suberect, 4" [10 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence with a single tubular floral bract occuring in the late summer and fall.

Synonyms Byrsella rigens (Luer) Luer 2006; Masdevallia stercorea Königer 1980

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Systematics of Madevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 300 Bennett & Christenson 1995; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXI Systematics of Masdevallia Part 2 Luer 2000

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