We have some interesting Masdevallias flowering this week including the very spectacular Masdevallia veitchiana.

We have several clones of this lovely species and they can enthral us with their vibrant flowers at any time of year, we have featured it in the Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer – what an orchid.

The flowers look orange and red but this colour is actually made from the flowers combination of a yellow ground and tiny raised pink warts – a clever trick.

This species is endemic to Peru where it grows between 2000m and 4000m as a terrestrial amongst grasses and we are indebted to Henry Oakley for these great photographs of the species on Machu Picchu. This habitat explains the long flower spikes which carry the flowers well clear of the leaves and in reach of pollinating humming birds. We replicate these conditions in our Cool Americas section where it is kept damp throughout the year. We try to provide more light that for some of our Masdevallias.

The Incas call the species Wajanki.