Masdevallia don-quijote Luer & Andreetta 1985 SUBGENUS Polyantha SECTION Alaticaules SUBSECTION Alaticaules [Krzl.] Luer 1986
Photos courtesy of Marius Wasbauer
Photo courtesy of Joseph Dougherty
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer

Common Name Refers to the flowers forward facing long, lance-like dorsal sepal, and the lateral sepals resembling the bowed legs of a horseman carrying a lance that brings to mind the fictional character]
Flower Size 2" [5 cm]
Found in Ecuador at elevations of 1000 to 1700 meters as a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical , thickly coriaceous, erect, elliptical, acute, gradually narrowing below into the stout petiole that blooms in the spring on a congested, racemose, successively flowered, slender, erect, triquetrous, 8 to 12" [20 to 30 cm] long inflorescence that arises from the base of the ramicaul with imbricating floral bracts.
Synonyms Alaticaulia don-quijote (Luer & Andreetta) Luer 2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Systematics of Masdevallia Vol 2 Luer 1986; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 288 Bennett & Christenson 1995; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XIX Systematics of Masdevallia Part 1 Luer 2000 drawing fide; Masdevallia's in Kleur Vol 1 P M Oversteegen, Eisses & A P Sijm 2001 photo fide;Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 drawing/photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXV Systematics of Masdevallia Part Five Luer 2003; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Alaticaulia don-quijote; Orchidaceae Masdevallia and Affiliates Dodson & Luer 2009 as Alaticaulia don quijote drawing fide; masdcocapatae.jpg
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