295. DRACULA VAMPIRA Orchidaceae

Johan Hermans

Summary. The history, taxonomy, distribution, habitat and cultivation of Dracula vampira (Orchidaceae) from Ecuador are discussed; a full botanical description of the species is provided.

The genus Dracula was segregated from Masdeuallia in 1978 by Carlyle A. Luer (Luer, 1978); a small number of its species had been accommodated in the section Saccilabiatae or Chimaera group of Masdevallia since the late nineteenth century. Of the 100 or so species recorded to date, over three quarters were described during the last two decades, most from the forested slopes of north-western Ecuador and the central and western Cordillera of Colombia. The new discoveries generated a great revival of interest in the genus, as did the publication of Luer’s revision of the genus in the lavishly illustrated Thesaurus Dracularum (1 988-1 994) and the Icones Pleurothallidinarum (1 993).

Dracula vampira has associations with both the Victorian plant collectors and the more recent revival of interest. Plants were first collected in Ecuador a century ago by F.C. Lehmann, a German consul, explorer and mining engineer. A herbarium specimen of one of these plants (Lehmann 7042 from Corazbn), annotated as Masdeual- lia chimaera by Fritz Kraenzlin, is at Kew. It was under this guise, as a dark variant within the Dracula chimaera complex, that the species remained hidden until 1978, when Carlyle Luer recognized it as being distinct and described it as Masdeuallia uampira. His description was based on new plants collected by Benign0 Malo who found them in the same region as those of Consul Lehmann. In the same year Luer transferred the species to the genus Dracula, together with the other known species.

Dracula ubangina, a very close ally from the same region, was described by Luer and Andreetta (1 980) but, apart from its smaller size and much denser colour, there is morphologically little to distinguish this from D. vampira. In the Thesaurus Dracularum, (1 989) Luer regarded the two as conspecific; however, by 1993 more specimens had been studied and it was decided to restore it to specific status (Luer, 1993). Only a more detailed survey of the two taxa, involving ecological and DNA studies will provide a definitive answer to their classification.

120 0 tlentham-Moxon Trust 1996. Published hy Blackwell Publiihcrr. I08 Cowley K m d , Oxford OX4 IJF, UK and 238 Main Strccr. Cambridge, M A 02142, USA

Dracula vampira

Plate 295

PAUL0 ORMIND0

With its large and dramatic flowers it is not surprising that D. vampira has proved a popular and desirable addition to the orchids in cultivation. A number of fine clones have been given horticultural awards; the cultivar ‘Wyld Court’ obtained an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1987 and three years later a larger and more clearly marked form, ‘Morgan le Fay’, gained the same distinction.

The flowers of D. vampira are extremely ephemeral outside their humid, cool home environment and even the slightest dehydration will cause the blooms to wilt into a flaccid mass. This peculiarity provides a tremendous practical challenge for both horticulturists and botanical artists.

Dracula is so named because of a perceived resemblance of the flower to a vampire bat, from the old European vampir and Vampirus, a genus of bats.

CULTIVATION. T o replicate the cool, humid conditions of the natural habitat, a glasshouse needs to be set aside for successful Dracula cultivation. Temperatures should be kept at a low of 15OC and an absolute maximum of 25”C, the latter achieved by heavy shading most of the year, free ventilation and damping down.

To allow the flower spikes to emerge freely, the plants should be grown suspended in a wooden or plastic basket. A very open and well-drained but water-retentive medium of sphagnum moss, Mex- ifern fibre and charcoal has proved suitable. Almost daily misting and regular watering with clean rain water are necessary, with a very dilute organic fertilizer applied infrequently.

Dracula vampira (Luer) Luer in Selbyana 2: 198 (1978). Type: Ecuador, Pinchincha Province, old road between Quito and Santa Doming0 de 10s Colorados, c. 2000 m, fl. 20 July 1977, B. Malo in C. Luer 1819 (holotype SEL). Masdevallia varnpira Luer in Phytologia 39: 23 1 (1 978).

DESCRIPTION. Denseb caespitose, epiphytic herb with a short rhizome and wiry roots. Rarnicauls erect, non-pseudobulbous, 50-60 mm long, enclosed by 2-3 tubular papery sheaths. Leaves single, erect, sub-plicate, fleshy- coriaceous, elliptic-obovate, acute, 120-290 mm long (including the pet- iole), 3-6 mm wide. Irgtlorescence semi-pendent; peduncle 150-450 mm long, emanating from the base of the ramicaul, the rachis extending to up to 250 mm long, with flowers produced successively. Floral bract oblique, tubular, UP to 25 mm long. Pedicel 16-24 mm long. Ovary round, UP to 12 mm long, minutely verrucose. Fk~wers glabrous, large, variable in size and colour, the background greenish-yeuow almost entirely concealed by

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Dracula -pira. A, sepals (with tails removed), x */s; B, ovary, transverse section, x 6; C,lip, x 2; (C1, hypochile; C2, epichile); D,anther cap, x 16; E,pollinia, x 16; F & G, bivalvate petals, x 8; H, column and petals from below, x 6 (H 1 , column; H2, anther cap; H3, stigma; H4, petals). Drawn by Paulo Ormindo.

bold parallel longitudinal blackish-brown to purple veins converging at the apex of the sepals. Dorsal sepal with a broadly ovate blade, 30-60 mm long, 30-40 mm wide, connate with the lateral sepals for 15 mm to form a campanulate to flat, widely spreading flower; apex subacute to obtuse, narrowing into a 50-120 mm long slender blackish-purple tail, paler towards the tip. Lawal sepals broadly ovate, 30-60 mm long, 25-45 mm wide, connate for 15 mm to form a wide mentum; apex subacute, narrowing

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to a 50- 1 10 mm long tail. Petals relatively small, 5 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, oblong, bivalvate at the apex, verrucose between the laminae, cartilagin- ous, white flecked purplish-red. Lip 14-26 mm long, 9-15 mm wide, consisting of two distinct parts, a constricted anterior segment or epichile and a posterior, more or less oblong hypochile; epichile concave, ovoid with involute margins; hypochile semi-circular to oblong, margins angled with radiating lamellae within, white to orange-yellow with pink or yellow veining. Column semi-terete, 6-8 mm long, column-foot 5-6 mm, white to yellow. Pollinia two, pyriform with short caudicles about 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION. West-central Ecuador, Pichincha Province, on the west- ern slopes of Mt Pichincha.

ECOLOGY. Dracula vampira occurs in cloud forest in deep humus at the shaded base of large trees, the flowers often emerging some distance from the plant through the leafy humus and debris. It is locally abundant, forming large clumps.

REFERENCES

Luer, C.A. (1978). Dracula, a new Genus in the Pleurothallidinae. Selbyana

Luer, C.A. (1 988-1994). Thesaurus Dracularum. Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis.

Luer, C .A. (1 993). Icones Pleurothallidinarum X. Systematics of Dracula. Monographs in Systematic Botany 46. Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis.

Luer, C.A. & Andreetta, A. (1980). Dracula ubangina. Phytologia 47: 62.

2: 190-198.

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