Masdevallia
Masdevallia | |
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Masdevallia caudata | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Orchidaceae |
Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
Tribe: | Epidendreae |
Subtribe: | Pleurothallidinae |
Genus: | Masdevallia Pav.
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Subgenera | |
About one dozen, see text | |
Diversity | |
About 500 species | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Masdevallia, abbreviated Masd in
Range and morphology
These plants are found from
The plants are characterized by an abbreviated to elongate and creeping rhizome that gives rise to stems that lack pseudobulbs. The stem bears a single, fleshy, erect to pendent, ovate to lanceolate leaf. The flowers are triangular and occur singly or in racemose inflorescences. They are characterized by a showy calyx and reduced corolla. The sepals are fused at the base and frequently caudate. The petals flank the semiterete column and the tongue-shaped lip is flexibly hinged to a free column foot.
Cultivation
The species are sensitive to inappropriate cultural conditions and will show signs of stress by leaf spotting or dropping. They can generally be grown in pots with sphagnum or seedling grade wood chips although a few species produce descending inflorescences and are best accommodated in baskets.[2] In both cases the rhizome should remain at the surface of the medium in order to prevent rot.
Most of these plants are from high altitude cloud forests and require very cool conditions and abundant moisture throughout the year. They cannot tolerate dryness, low humidity, or excessive temperatures and the plants are very easy to kill. They will simply drop all their leaves and suddenly collapse if allowed to dry completely or are exposed to high temperatures. Many members of this genus from very high altitude cloud forests defy cultivation. Most of the species from this genus are considered less difficult in cultivation than plants from the genus Dracula, and some of them are very easy to cultivate and have a 'weedy' habit such as
Low humidity conditions or watering the plants with a water source which contains high levels of dissolved salts will result in the leaves yellowing and rapidly dying from the tips back to the rhizome. The plants should be provided with rain water or distilled water or a very pure water source. The medium should always remain moist as the plants do not have any significant storage structures like most orchids.
Selected species
- Masdevallia antonii
- Quechua)
- Masdevallia pinocchio
- Masdevallia unguentum
- Spanish), waqanki (Quechua)
Taxonomy
Masdevallia was found to be polyphyletic [3] and the taxonomy of the group is unresolved but the currently accepted taxonomy proceeds as follows:[4]
Subgenera
- Subgenus Spilotantha)
- Section Amandae: 28+ species, e.g. M. amanda, M. bulbophyllopsis, M. melanopus, M. polysticta. Separated in Spilotantha.
- Section Ophioglossae: 1-2 species – M. ophioglossa, M. ophioglossa ssp. grossa
- Subgenus
- Subgenus
- Subgenus Masdevallia
- Section Amaluzae: (≡
- Section Aphanes: (≡Pteroon) 3 species – M. aphanes, M. capillaris, M. scopaea
- Section Coriaceae :
- Subsection Coriaceae: (≡Byrsella) ~35 species, e.g. M. angulata, M. caesia, M. civilis, M. elephanticeps, M. foetens, M. fractiflexa
- Subsection Durae: (≡Regalia) 4 species – M. ayabacana, M. dura, M. panguiensis, M. utriculata
- Subsection Coriaceae: (≡
- Section Ligiae: Monotypic – M. ligiae
- Section Masdevallia:
- Subsection Caudatae: ~28 species, e.g. M. bottae, M. caudata, M. decumana, M. lychniphora, M. triangularis, M. xanthina
- Subsection Coccineae: 12 species, e.g. M. amabilis, M. barlaeana, M. coccinea, M. ignea, M. veitchiana
- Subsection Masdevallia: ~58 species, e.g. M. agaster, M. calocodon, M. mejiana, M. pumila, M. uniflora
- Subsection Oscillantes: ~11 species, e.g. M. andreettana, M. wageneriana (including M. pteroglossa)
- Subsection Saltatrices: 14 species, e.g. M. urosalpinx, M. ventricularia
- Subsection Tubulosae: 7 species, e.g. M. bangii, M. irapana, M. tubulosa
- Section Mentosae: Monotypic – M. mentosa
- Section Minutae: ~21 species, e.g. M. floribunda, M. herradurae, M. minuta, M. nicaraguae, M. wendlandiana
- Section Racemosae: (≡Spectaculum) Monotypic – M. racemosa
- Section Reichenbachianae:
- Subsection Dentatae : (≡Petalodon) 2 species – M. collina, M. macrogenia
- Subsection Reichenbachianae: (≡
- Subsection Dentatae : (≡
- Subgenus
- Subgenus Nidifica: (≡Buccella) 4-5 species: e.g. M. dynastes, M. nidifica (including M. ventricosa)
- Subgenus Alaticaulia)
- Section Alaticaules: 97 species, e.g. M. bicolor, M. infracta, M. scobina, M. stenorrhynchos, M. tovarensis, M. vargasii, M. weberbaueri
- Section Polyanthae: 7 species, e.g. M. discoidea, M. lata, M. polyantha, M. schlimii
- Subgenus Scabripes (≡Portilla)
- Subgenus Streptoura)
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Masdevallia (Masdevallia) sect. Coriaceae subsect. Coriaceae:
Masdevallia civilis -
Masdevallia (Masdevallia) sect. Masdevallia subsect. Caudatae:
Masdevallia triangularis -
Masdevallia (Masdevallia) sect. Masdevallia subsect. Oscillantes:
Masdevallia wageneriana var. pteroglossa -
Masdevallia (Masdevallia) sect. Masdevallia subsect. Saltatrices:
Masdevallia angulifera -
Masdevallia (Masdevallia) sect. Minutae:
Masdevallia floribunda -
Masdevallia (Masdevallia) sect. Minutae:
Masdevallia wendlandiana -
Masdevallia (Nidifica):
Masdevallia nidifica -
Masdevallia (Polyantha) sect. Alaticaules:
Masdevallia bicolor
Footnotes
- Gerritsen, Mary E. & Parsons, Ron (2005): Masdevallias, Gems of the Orchid World. Timber Press.
- Luer, Carlyle A.: Icones Pleurothallidinarum, Systematics of Masdevallia (multiple volumes). Missouri Botanical Garden Press. (1984–2003)
- Pridgeon, A.M., Solano, R., & Chase, M.W. (2001): Phylogenetic relationships in Pleurothallidinae (Orchidaceae): combined evidence from nuclear and plastid DNA sequences. American Journal of Botany 88: 2286–2308.
References
- ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ISBN 0-88192-267-6
- ^ Pridgeon et al. (2001)
- ^ The Plant List(2010)
External links
Media related to Masdevallia at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Masdevallia at Wikispecies
- Image gallery
- Ron Parsons Flowershots Masdevallia Species
- Masdevallia species and hybrids catalog with images