Masdevallia vittatula

Native to southwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador, this miniature perennial epiphytic orchid grows in cool cloud forests between about 6,600 and 7,900 feet. Each short stem carries one elliptical, leathery leaf with a slender leaf stalk. Several small flowers open together in tight clusters on stalks about seven inches long, mainly in spring. The sepals extend into long, narrow tails, surrounding much smaller petals and a deeply channeled lip. Photographed in Ecuador.