''Masdevallia davisii'', or Davis' masdevallia, is a species of the

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

genus ''

Masdevallia ''Masdevallia'', abbreviated Masd in horticultural trade, is a large genus of flowering plants of the Pleurothallidinae, a subtribe of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). There are over 500 species, grouped into several subgenera. The genus is name ...

''. It is also known as the orchid of the sun and was known to the

Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admi ...

s as ''qoriwaqanki'' ("golden waqanki") – due to its similarity in form to the red ''

Masdevallia veitchiana ''Masdevallia veitchiana'', (pronounced "veech-e-anna") also known as Veitch's masdevallia or king of the masdevallias, is an orchid species of the genus ''Masdevallia''. The plant is found in the wild near Machu Picchu and nearby areas in Peru ...

'', known as ''waqanki''. It was named after Walter Davis who collected it near

Cusco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the seventh most populous in Peru ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

in 1873.

Description

''Masdevallia davisii'' is grown cool and blooms in the late spring with a single brilliant yellow flower, usually deep orange inside. The 6.5 to 9 cm flowers hold themselves high and appear successively on an erect, slender

peduncle Peduncle may refer to: *Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed *Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body **Peduncle (art ...

, 25 cm long. The flowers' predominant feature is their thickly textured and well-developed

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined ...

s, which end in three characteristic tails (one pointing up and the other two pointing down).

Distribution

''Masdevallia davisii'' is found in growing on rocky slopes in Peru at elevations of between 3000 and 3600 metres.

Culture

''Masdevallia davisii'' can be grown in cool conditions in partial shade. It should be potted in fine bark with

perlite Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass that has a relatively high water content, typically formed by the hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently. It is an industrial ...

sphagnum moss ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...

and watered regularly, with the potting media kept moist.

History

In 1873, Walter Davis was dispatched by

James Veitch & Sons The Veitch Nurseries were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in Europe during the 19th century. Started by John Veitch sometime before 1808, the original nursery grew substantially over several decades and was eventually split into t ...

Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...

to collect samples of '' M. veitchiana'' and related species. While collecting in the vicinity of

, Davis found another unidentified Masdevallia species. He sent flowers to Heinrich Reichenbach for identification; in

The Gardeners' Chronicle ''The Gardeners' Chronicle'' was a British horticulture periodical. It lasted as a title in its own right for nearly 150 years and is still extant as part of the magazine '' Horticulture Week''. History Founded in 1841 by the horticulturists Jos ...

, Reichenbach described this new species as ''"M. davisii"'', saying:

"This is a beautiful thing, much like '' M. harryana'' and '' veitchiana''.... The other parts of the flower are yellowish, white and of the deepest splendid orange inside; so that it would appear to give a most welcome contrast in a group of the scarlet and vermillion and white Masdevallias. It was discovered by a, most probably new collector, Mr. W. Davis... I have a very good opinion of this collector, who was introduced to me by a set of new dried Orchids; so I thought it my duty to attach the name of such a promising collector to such a welcome Masdevallia."

''Masdevallia davisii'' flowered for the first time in England in August 1874 and rapidly gained favour, becoming widely cultivated in Europe for many years, but it eventually disappeared from collections, joining the ranks of "lost" orchid species, before being re-introduced by David Wellisch of

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

in 1978 and by Berthold Wurstle of Spielberg, Germany in 1980.

References

External links

* *
A rather colourful description of a journey in search of Qoriwaqanki
{{Taxonbar, from=Q6782918 davisii Endemic orchids of Peru Veitch Nurseries