Masdevallia
Masdevallia is a genus of impressive plants of the
Pleurothallidinae sub-tribe of the
orchid family
Orchidaceae. There are over 500 species grouped into several sub-genera. The genus is named for Jose Masdeval, a physician in the court of
Charles III of Spain. The plants have fleshy, smooth
leaves held in tufts. The three large sepals are fused along their edges and commonly have long tails. The petals are small with the sepals having all the colour and markings (often very brightly colored, large and showy). The plants are found from
Mexico to southern
Brazil, but mostly in the
Andes of
Ecuador and
Colombia,
Peru and
Bolivia.
Below are a few examples of this spectacular genus:
- M. agaster
- M. brachyura
- M. coccinea
- M. floribunda