The Masdevallia genus was coined by H. Ruíz and J. Pavón in 1794, dedicated to Dr. José Masdeval, contemporary physician and botanist.

   Genus Masdevallia belongs in Subfamily Epidendroideae Tribe Epidendreae Subtribe Pleurothallidinae. This is the largest hodgepodge in the whole orchid family, containing over 3,600 orchid names.

   By time the Masdevallia genus itself became unmanageably large and recent scientific revisions are aimed at splitting it up, resulting in new generic names like Dracula, Dryadella, Andreetta, Triasterella and so on.

   M. tovarensis was discovered by J. J. Linden in 1842 near Tovar in Venezuela and it is in cultivation since the middle of the XIXth century. Later in the XIXth Century many showy species were discovered and sent to Britain from Venezuela by Consul F.C. Lehmann; specializing in cultivating Pleurothallinidae orchids became and still is a kind of cult among orchid aficionados up to today.

   In general, many Masdevallia species need shade and insist on cool, moist environments literally falling apart under too warm or too bright, dry conditions. The tropical alpine cloud- and mist forest species are definitely not for the beginner - cut your teeth on species and hybrids either naturally warm-tolerant or clones selected especially for hobbyist orchid enthusiasts.

   There are species growing in nature on the underside of fairly horizontal branches and send their flowers straight downwards - they should not be cultivated potted, of course.