Masdevallia scalpellifera Luer 1997 SUBGENUS Pygmaeia SECTION Zahlbrucknerzae Luer 1986

Photo by Alfonso Doucette Copyright © 2009, and His Flicker website

Side View of Flower Photo by Alfonso Doucette Copyright © 2009, and His Flicker Orchid Photo website

Full ShadeColdSummer

Common Name The Scalpel-Carryng Masdevallia [refers to the lip]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in southern Ecuador at elevations around 2700 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly obovate, subacute to obtuse, narrowly cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer on a suberect, slender, congested, 2" [5 cm] long, slow succession of single, few flowered inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul witha tubular floral bract.

Synonyms Luzama scalpellifera (Luer) Luer 2006

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXI Luer 2000 drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 Drawing fide; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Luzama scalpellifera drawing ok

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

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