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Masdevallia bellissima
Icones Costaricensis 1 & 2

Masdevallia bellissima

Masdevallia bellissima Bogarín, Pupulin & Karremans, Vanishing Beauty. Vol. 2: 574. 2020.

Type: Costa Rica. Limón: Talamanca, Bratsi, 1740 m. 26 April 2017, flowered in cultivation 16 August 2017. A.P. Karremans et al. 7793 (holotype, CR; isotypes, JBL, USJ; LCDP voucher).

Etymology: From the Latin bellissimus, “very beautiful”, in allusion to the lovely, magnificent flower, which is among the showiest of the genus in Costa Rica.

Masdevallia bellissima is most similar to M. schroederiana, from which it differs in the pinkish white flowers suffused with yellow (vs. blood red with white center), the smooth surface of sepals (vs. verrucose), the petals white with pink stains (vs. purplish with a red stripe along the midvein) and the oblong lip (vs. subpandurate).