Name: Dracula andreettae (Luer) Luer
Synonym: Masdevallia andreettae Luer
Etymology: andreettae = named in honor of Father Angel Andreetta, a well-known Salesian missionary and passionate orchid collector who supported the discovery of numerous Ecuadorian species.

First description: 1978 by Carlyle A. Luer (originally described as Masdevallia andreettae, and transferred to the new genus Dracula later the same year).
Origin / Distribution: Western Colombia to northwestern Ecuador.
Location / Habitat: Grows epiphytically in moist mist and cloud forests of the Andes at elevations of approximately 1,500 to 2,200 meters. It inhabits shady locations in the lower canopy or near the ground on moss-covered tree trunks, where humidity remains consistently high and the air is cool and moving.
Description & Notes: Dracula andreettae is a small, clump-forming orchid without pseudobulbs. It produces upright, leathery, narrowly elliptic leaves. Its fascinating flowers, up to 20 cm long, appear on creeping or downward-pointing inflorescences. The yellowish-white sepals are widely spread, densely spotted purple-brown, and end in long, threadlike tails. Particularly striking are the club-shaped, thickened petals and the large, white, heavily wrinkled lip, which resembles the underside of a mushroom cap.

In cultivation, this highland species requires cool to, at most, intermediate conditions, with a noticeable drop in temperature at night. Since the inflorescences almost always grow sideways downward or through the substrate, it must be grown in hanging slatted baskets or open-mesh pots. The substrate (preferably pure sphagnum moss) must be kept constantly moist and must never dry out completely, while humidity above 75–80% and steady, gentle air circulation are essential.

In vitro culture: You will receive a flask containing 4 young plants. The plants are generally already large enough to be deflasked. After opening, carefully remove all the nutrient medium from the fine roots using lukewarm water, and plant the young orchids in a fine, very airy, slightly moisture-retentive substrate with sphagnum. We recommend very high humidity, cool to moderate conditions, and sheltered light during the first few weeks. Keep evenly moist, avoid allowing it to dry out completely, and ensure gentle, continuous air movement.