I picked up this little gem from Ecuagenera at the Sofiero orchid show in May and it obviously did not object over the long journey from South America since it is already blooming. I just adore this little thing… the sepals remain fused together and the flowers look like some sort of an alien… a hungry alien. This is why I love orchids so much. There are no rules! Flowers can look any which way, be hairy, scary, weird or just downright stunningly beautiful. I am a captive of this great, wondrous creativity.
Masdevallia mendozae is a miniature epiphyte from Southern Ecuador. The flowers measure about 1,5 cm and are bright orange in color. It grows in the cloud forests at elevations of 1800 to 2300 meters. Apparently the species enjoy brighter light than most other Masdevallia and is also a bit more tolerant of warmer temperatures as long as air circulation is good. I grow mine mounted on EpiWeb in the cool vivarium.
