Masdevallia naevia

Masdevallia naevia belongs to the Caudatae section of the genus Masdevallia, a section that includes some rather awkward-looking flowers of which this is one.  The flowers are beautiful in their own way, but I always feel that they are held rather stiffly above the plant and that the flowers themselves are rather stiff and awkward compared to other Masdevallias.  The plant is 10 cm and the flowers the same size.  It is from Ecuador and named for the purple spot on the dorsal sepal (naevia means "birthmark").