Masdevallia crassicaudis Luer & J.J. Portilla 1999 SUBGENUS Masdevallia SECTION Masdevallia SUBSECTION Masdevallia
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt plant grown by Dan Newman of Hanging Gardens.
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
LATE 
Common Name The Thick, Rigid Tail Masdevallia [refers to the sepaline tails]
Flower Size 1 1/4" [3 cm]
Found in Mrona-Santiago province of southern Ecuador at elevations of 900 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm growing, caespitose epiphyte with slender, erect, ramicauls enveloped basallly by 2 to 3 loose, black, tubular sheaths carrying asingle, apical, erect, coriaceous, thinly petiolate, elliptical blade, acute to subacute apically leaf that blooms in the late spring on a slender, arising from low on the ramicaul, erect, 1 3/4 to 2" [4 to 5 cm] long, inflorescence with a basal bract and a tubular, as long as the pedicel floral bract and holds the single flower at mid leaf.
Distinguished from others by its white sepals lightly suffused with yellow towards the base and thick orange, straight tails, an uncinate and minute basal tooth on the petals, a white and pandurate lip that is briefly narrowed between the lower 2/3's and the rounded apical 1/3 and the practically smooth disc with barely visible elevations along the lateral veins.
Synonyms Masdevallia blandis Koniger 2000;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Pleurothallidinarum XVIII. Systematics of Pleurothallis subgen. Pleurothallis sect. Pleurothallis, subsect. Longiracemosae, subsect. Macrophyllae-Racemosae, subsect. Perplexae, subgen. Pseudostelis, subgen. Acuminatia. Addenda to Dracula, Lepanthes, Masdevallia and Pleurothallis. Miscellaneous new species of Dryadella, Lepanthes and Pleurothallis Luer 1999 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXII Systematics of Masdevallia Part 3 Luer 2001 as Masdevallia crassicaulis drawing fide; A Treasure of Masdevallia Vol 26 Luer & Dalstroem 2001 watercolor fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 as M blanda photo fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 photo fide; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 drawing fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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