After Jose Masdevall (–1801), Spanish physician and botanist.
Epiphytic, epilithic or terrestrial herbs, sympodial, with short creeping rhizomes. Stems not thickened into pseudobulbs, short, erect, covered by papery sheaths. Leaves apical, solitary, fleshy, usually 3- toothed at tip, stalked. Inflorescences terminal racemes, erect. Flowers resupinate, 1-few, small to large, variously coloured. Sepals large and showy, fused at base or sometimes beyond, tip narrow, laterals fused to base of labellum forming a chin-like extension. Petals much smaller than sepals. Labellum small, entire, clawed, often partially concealed by sepals. Column short, sometimes winged, tip entire or toothed, with a short foot. Pollinia 2, waxy.
Many species formerly included in Masdevallia are now referable to other genera; see Dracula and Dryadella.
About 300 species from Mexico, C and S America.
Large, variously fused sepals enclosing small petals and labellum.
Source: (2005). Orchidaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.