Dracula benedictii (Rchb. f.) Luer 1978 SUBGENUS Dracula SECTION Dracula SUBSECTION Dracula SERIES Parviflorae
Photo by © Lourens Grobler
Photos by © Eric Hunt, plant grown by SF Conservatory of Flowers
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Common Name Benedict's Dracula [Roezl, Bohemian Orchid Collector and discoverer of species 1800's]
Flower Size 1.6" [4 cm]
Found in central Colombia in cloud forests at elevations of 1700 to 2300 meters as a cool to cold growing epiphyte with slender, erect, ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thinly coriaceous, very narrowly obovate to linear, acute, gradually narrowing below into the conduplicate, subpetiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring and summer on a congested, purplish, horizontal to descending, 3" [7.5 cm] long, successively few flowered inflorescence arising form low on the ramicaul with bracts at each joint of the scape and tubular floral bracts.
Synonyms Dracula benedictii var. hubeinii (Luer) Hermans 1997; Dracula hubeinii Luer 1980; Dracula troglodytes (E. Morren) Luer 1978; *Masdevallia benedicti Rchb. f. 1874; Masdevallia troglodytes E. Morren 1877
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1874 as Masdevallia benedicti drawing; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Masdevallia troglodytees; Thesaurus Dracularum Vol 2 Luer, Escobar and Dalstroem 1989 watercolor/drawing fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 1 COS 1990 photo ok; The Illustratred Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon, 1992 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum X Systematics of Dracula Luer 1993 drawing fide; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Orchid Digest Vol 61 #4 1997 photo fide; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glen 2002 photo fide; Orquideologia Vol 24 #1 2005 photo ok; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007 photo fide; Orquideologia Vol 26 No 1 2009 photo fide; Orquideologia Vol 28 #1 2011 photo fide; Orquideologia Vol 29 #1 2012 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide; Orquideas del Valle de Aburra Medellin Colombia COS 2014 photo fide; Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 1 Ortiz & Uribe 2014 drawing/photo fide;
Dracula benedictii var. hubeinii (Luer) Hermans 1997
Photo by © Eric Hunt
A color variety of the previous species
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids Orchid Digest Vol 61 #4 1997 photo fide; Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide; Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 1 Ortiz & Uribe 2014 as D hubenii photo not = Masdevalliua hubenii;
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