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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Dracula orchids
| image = Dracula-vampira.web.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = ''Dracula vampira''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Liliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Asparagales]]
| familia = [[Orchidaceae]]
| subfamilia = [[Epidendroideae]]
| tribus = [[Epidendreae]]
| subtribus = [[Pleurothallidinae]]
| genus = '''''Dracula'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carlyle August Luer|Luer]], 1978
| subdivision_ranks = [[Species]]
| subdivision =
See text.
}}

The [[orchid]] [[genus]] '''''Dracula''''' consists of 118 [[species]]. The strange name ''Dracula'', literally means "little dragon", referring to the strange aspect of the two long spurs of the [[sepal]]s <ref> [http://www.planetarkive.org/creatures/flowering-plants.jsp?mode=minifact&minifact=_minifactAsset_4848749040 Planet Arkive : Dracula orchid] </ref>. They were once included in the genus ''[[Masdevallia]]'', but became a separate genus in 1978. This genus has some of the more bizarre and well-known species of the subtribe [[Pleurothallidinae]].

==Description==
These [[epiphyte|epiphytic]] and [[terrestrial plant |terrestrial]] species are distributed in [[Central America]] and the northwest [[Andes]], almost half in [[Ecuador]] alone. They prefer shadow and an even, rather cold, temperature.

These [[caespitose]] orchids grow in tufts from a short [[rhizome]], with a dense pack of stems. They lack [[pseudobulb]]s. On each stems grows one large, thin, [[plicate]] [[leaf]] with a sharply defined midrib. These glabrous, light to dark green leaves may be spongy, taking over the function of the missing pseudobulb. They are tipped with a mucro (a short tip).

The [[flower]] stalks grow either horizontally from the base of the plant or descend, often for great distances. A few species grow upright flower stalks. The long-tailed terminal flowers are basically triangular. The flowers are borne singly or successively. Three species (sodiroi, decussata/neisseniae, and papillosa) may have up to three simultaneously open flowers on a single stalk. In general, though, if there is more than one flower bud on the raceme, they open up with long intervals. These flowers have a weird aspect, due to the long tails on each [[sepal]]. The [[petal]]s are small and somewhat thickened. The [[labellum|lip]] is often quite large for a Pleurothallid and may resemble a mushroom or fungus. The fleshy basal part of the lip (hypochile) is cleft. The terminal part (epichile) is rounded and concave. The margins of the [[perianth]] are often fringed. There is a well-developed [[column (botany)|column]] with two [[pollinium|pollinia]].

[[Image:Draculachestertonii.web.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Frog's Skin (''Dracula chestertonii'')]]

==Species==
The species of ''Dracula'' have tentatively been divided in three subgenera, sections and subsections. The different series in the subsection ''Dracula'' are merely an attempt to classify these orchids.
*Subgenus ''Dracula'' : This subgenus contains all the species of the genus except two exceptional species (D. sodiroi and D. xenos)
**Section ''Andreettaea'' : Monotypic: ''Dracula andreettae''
**Section ''Chestertonia'' : two species: ''Dracula chestertonii'', ''D. cutis-bufonis''
**Section ''Cochliopsida'' : Monotypic: ''Dracula cochliops''
**Section ''Dodsonia'' : Four species: ''Dracula dodsonii'', ''D. insolita'', ''D. iricolor'', ''D. portillae''
**Section ''Dracula'' : largest section
***Subsection : e.g. ''Dracula bella'', ''D. vespertilio''
***Subsection ''Dracula'' :
****Series ''Dracula'' : e.g. ''Dracula chimaera'', ''D. tubeana'', ''D. vampira''
****Series ''Grandiflorae-Parvilabiatae'' : e.g. ''Dracula gigas'', ''D. platycrater''
****Series ''Parviflorae'' : e.g. ''Dracula houtteana'', ''D. lotax''
*Subgenus ''Sodiroa'' : Monotypic: ''Dracula sodiroi''
*Subgenus ''Xenosia'' : Monotypic : ''Dracula xenos''
----

*''[[Dracula adrianae]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula alcithoe]]'' (SW. Colombia to NE. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula amaliae]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dra
cula andreettae]]'' (W. Colombia to NE. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula anthracina]]'' (NW. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula antonii]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula aphrodes]]'' (W. Colombia.
*''[[Dracula astuta]]'' (Costa Rica).
*''[[Dracula barrowii]]'' (Peru).
*''[[Dracula bella]]'' (WC. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula bellerophon]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula benedictii]]'' (WC. Colombia.
*''[[Dracula berthae]]'' (Colombia) .
*''[[Dracula brangeri]]'' (C. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula carcinopsis]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula carlueri]]'' (Costa Rica.
*''[[Dracula chestertonii]]'' : '''Frog's Skin']]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula chimaera]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula chiroptera]]'' (SW. Colombia to NE. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula christineana]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula circe]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula citrina]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula cochliops]]'' (SW. Colombia).
[[Image:Draculacordobae3.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Dracula cordobae'']]
*''[[Dracula cordobae]]'' (SW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula cutis-bufonis]]'' : '''Toadskin Orchid']]'' (NW. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula dalessandroi]]'' (SE. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula dalstroemii]]'' (NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula decussata]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula deltoidea]]'' (SE. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula deniseana]]'' (Peru.
*''[[Dracula diabola]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula diana]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula dodsonii]]'' (Colombia to NC. Ecuador)
*''[[Dracula erythrochaete]]'' (Costa Rica to W. Panama).
*''[[Dracula exasperata]]'' ( SW. Colombia.
*''[[Dracula fafnir]]'' (SE. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula felix]]'' (SW. Colombia to NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula fuligifera]]'' (C. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula gastrophora]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula gigas]]'' (W. Colombia to NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula gorgona]]'' (W. Colombia)
*''[[Dracula gorgonella]]'' (Colombia)
*''[[Dracula hawleyi]]'' (NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula hirsuta]]'' (SE. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula hirtzii]]'' (SW. Colombia to NW. Ecuador).
[[Image:Draculahoutteana1web.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Dracula houtteana'']]
*''[[Dracula houtteana]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula inaequalis]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula incognita]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula inexperata]]'' (Costa Rica).
*''[[Dracula insolita]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula janetiae]]'' (C. Peru)
*''[[Dracula kareniae]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula lafleurii]]'' (NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula lehmanniana]]'' (SW. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula lemurella]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula leonum]]'' (Peru).
*''[[Dracula levii]]'' (SW. Colombia to NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula ligiae]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula lindstroemii]]'' (NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula lotax]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula mantissa]]'' (SW. Colombia to NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula marsupialis]]'' (NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula mendozae]]'' Luer & V.N.M.Rao (Ecuador)
*''[[Dracula minax]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula mopsus]]'' (Ecuador.
*''[[Dracula morleyi]]'' (NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula navarrorum]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula nigritella]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula nosferatu]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula nycterina]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula octavioi]]'' (SW. Colombia.
*''[[Dracula olmosii]]'' (Panama).
*''[[Dracula ophioceps]]'' (SW. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula orientalis]]'' (NE. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula ortiziana]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula papillosa]]'' (NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula pholeodytes]]'' (NE. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula pileus]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula platycrater]]'' (Colombia.
*''[[Dracula polyphemus]]'' (NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula portillae]]'' (SE. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula posadarum]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula presbys]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula psittacina]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula psyche]]'' (NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula pubescens]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula pusilla]]'' (SE. Mexico to C. America)
*''[[Dracula radiella]]'' (NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula radiosa]]'' (E. Colombia to NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula rezekiana]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula ripleyana]]'' (Costa Rica).
*''[[Dracula robledorum]]'' (Colombia)
*''[[Dracula roezlii]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula saulii]]'' (Peru).
*''[[Dracula schudelii]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula sergioi]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula severa]]'' (NW. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula sibundoyensis]]'' (SW. Colombia to NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula sijmii]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula simia]]'' (SE. Ecuador).
[[Image:Draculasodiroi.web.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Dracula sodiroi'']]
*''[[Dracula sodiroi]]'' (Ecuador).
**''Dracula sodiroi'' subsp. ''erythrocodon'' (Ecuador). Hemicr.
**''Dracula sodiroi'' subsp. ''sodiroi'' (Ecuador). Hemicr.
*''[[Dracula syndactyla]]'' (SW. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula terborchii]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula trichroma]]'' (W. Colombia to NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula trinympharum]]'' (NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula tsubotae]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula tubeana]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula ubangina]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula vampira]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula veliziana]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula velutina]]'' (NW. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula venefica]]'' (W. Colombia.
*''[[Dracula venosa]]'' (W. Colombia to NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula verticulosa]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula vespertilio]]'' (Nicaragua to NW. Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula villegasii]]'' (Colombia).
*''[[Dracula vinacea]]'' (NE. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula vlad-tepes]]'' (NE. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula wallisii]]'' (W. Colombia).
*''[[Dracula woolwardiae]]'' (Ecuador).
*''[[Dracula xenos]]'' (Colombia).

==Hybrids==
*''Dracula × anicula'' (''D. cutis-bufonis'' × ''D. wallisii'') (Colombia).
*''Dracula × radiosyndactyla'' (''D. radiosa'' × ''D. syndactyla'') (SW. Colombia).

== Footnote ==

{{reflist}}

==References==
*Luer, Carlyle A. 1978: ''Dracula'', a New Genus in the Pleurothallidinae. Selbyana 2: 190-198.
*Luer, Carlyle A. 1993: Icones Pleurothallidinarum X - Systematics of ''Dracula''. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 46.
*[http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/plants_and_algae/Dracula_vampira/more_info.html Arkive : Dracula vampira]

==External links==
{{commons|Dracula (Orchidaceae)|Dracula}}
* [http://www.draculaspecies.com ''Dracula'' Species Database]
* [http://www.peripatus.gen.nz/Taxa/Spermatophyta/Dracula.html www.peripatus.gen.nz]

[[Category:Flowers]]
[[Category:Orchid genera]]
[[Category:Dracula]]

Dracula orchid - Revision history

MediaWiki default at 12:17, 5 July 2007