More than 400 species have now been named and described, two thirds of them in the past 25 years alone. The first discovered, Masdevallia uniflora was found in the valley of Tarma in Peru (where it still grows) as long ago as 1779-80.

Seen in the wild
At the end of 1999 I took part in an expedition to Peru, part-sponsored by the Society and the Merlin Trust to look at orchid habitats. High in the grass-land above the ruins of Machu Picchu, a species the expedition was particularly keen to see was found: orange-flowered Masdevallia veitchiana (pictured left), incandescent in its brightness and bobbing in the wind.

Most masdevallias live on trees (epiphytes) or rocks (lithophytes) in shade, and nothing in the literature mentions them growing in full sun or terrestrially as, in fact, they do. There was not a tree in sight and a cool breeze blew from the surrounding snow-clad peaks. At night the temperature fell to 3°C (37°F) and even in the full glare of the sun, the day temperatures barely reached 23°C (73°F). The ground was damp, a thin, humus-rich soil lying directly over granite, suggesting M. veitchiana needs cool conditions with bright light in cultivation.

The first masdevallia hybrids were created by crossing M. veitchiana and scarlet M. coccinea. At 500, crosses now outnumber the species. Better for windowsill culture than the species, hybrids enchant experienced growers and beginners alike. Today they are grown commercially by the hundreds of thousands.

Modern breeding lines with their hybrid vigour and vivid colours are easy to grow. Good choices for the beginner include Masdevallia Rose-Mary (M. coccinea x M. glandulosa) a floriferous pink, and the beautiful white to yellow M. Mary Staal (M. coccinea var. alba x M. Angel Frost). New, unregistered crosses such as M. Magdalena x M. Marguerite (red) or the fine hybrid M. Falcon Sunrise x M. constricta (yellow to orange) are also recommended. When experienced with these, growers can try the more demanding species.

If you want fascination in your orchids, delicacy, mystery, angelic fragrances (or even an air of lewd corruption); if you wish to be entrapped by the obsession and passion that is orchid growing (or even if you are just tired of Streptocarpus), give this exquisite genus of miniature masterpieces a try.

Henry Oakeley, Chairman of the RHS Orchid Committee, holds the National Plant Collection of Lycaste and Anguloa

Cultivation and suppliers

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