Masdevallia staaliana Luer & Hirtz 1994 SUBGENUS Amanda SECTION Amandae Rchb.f 1874
Photo by Alfonso Doucette Copyright © 2009, and His Flicker website
Flower Closeup Photos courtesy of Eric Hunt, grown by Gerardus Staal, for whom the species is named
and 
Common Name Staal's Masdevallia [German American Orchid Enthusiast Current]
Flower Size 2/5" [1 cm]
Found in Ecuador at elevations of 2200 to 2700 meters as a miniature sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 thin tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, petiolate, elliptical, subacute to obtuse leaf that is basally cuneate into the petiole and flowers in the summer and winter on an erect to suberect, loosely few flowered, 3 1/5" to 5 1/5" [8 to 13 cm] long, racemose inflorescence arising from low on the ramicaul with 1 to 2 bracts below the middle and inflated floral bracts carrying 3 to 5 simultaneously opening, pubescent flowers. This species has some of the shortest and widest leaves of the genus.
Synonyms Spilotantha staaliana (Luer & Hirtz) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; A Treasure of Masdevallia Vol 23 Luer & Dalstroem 1998 watercolor/drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXV Systematics of Masdevallia Part Five 2005 drawing fide; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Spilotantha staaliana drawing fide;
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