Draculas of Ecuador, Book

Dracula orchids have been popular in horticulture since the era of the "Orchid fever" in the second half of the 19th Century. When, in 1978, botanists eventually created a new genus for these plants with grotesque flowers to separate them from Masdevallia, 51 species of Dracula were already known. However, the increasing botanical exploration of the Neotropical regions has allowed the discovery of almost 100 new species of Dracula in the last few decades, mainly coming from the Andean countries. Together with Colombia, Ecuador hosts the highest diversity of Dracula. In this book, 56 species and three forms that do not fit well into any of the previously known species are recognized for the Ecuadorian flora, for a grand total of 59 different entities. Of them, 44 have been photographed for this book, including some species that probably appear for the first time in a photograph, as well as rare and interesting variations never documented before. The book includes a complete introduction to the genus Dracula, vibrant photographs and color plates, a complete and updated catalogue of the Ecuadorian Dracula species, and a chapter with suggestions for the successful growing of these fascinating plants.