Tas. 6268. 
MASDEVALLIA rrtarisreia. 
Native of Costa Rica. 
Nat. Ord. OrcnipE&.—Tribe PLevRoTHALLIDER, 
Genus Maspevatuia, Ruiz et Pav. (Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orchid. p. 192). 
MaspEvaLui triaristella ; parvula, dense cespitosa, foliis cum petiolo perbrevi 
1-1}-pollicaribus strictis subulatis teretibus apiculatis antice canaliculatis, 
scapis folia excedentibus 1-2-floris capillaribus verruculosis, vaginis parvisre- 
motis, sepalo dorsali ovato concavo in caudam flexuosam lamina triplo longiore 
producto, lateralibus in laminam navicularem lineari-oblongam apice emar- 
ginatam utrinque ultra medium cauda flexuosa instructam connatis, petalis 
oblongo-linearibus apice obtuse 3-dentatis, labello lingueformi basi profonde 
2-lobo, columna clavata. 
M. triaristellata, Reichb. f. in Gard. Chron, (1876), p. 226 et 559 (Ie. aylog.) 
Dr. Reichenbach well remarks of this singular little plant, 
that it constitutes (with another unnamed one in his herbarium) 
an entirely new section of Masdevallia, to be called Triari- 
stelle, and which he tells me forms a curious approach to 
Restrepia. Of the latter genus two species have been figured 
in this work ; R. Lansbergii, tab. 5257, and R. elegans, t. 5966 ; 
a comparison of them with M. ¢triaristella clearly shows the 
relationship indicated by Dr. Reichenbach ; still the different 
form of the petals and club-shaped tails of Restrepia abund- 
antly separates the two genera. 
Masdevallia triaristella was discovered in Costa Rica by: 
Endres, and flowered by Messrs. Veitch, who forwarded the 
specimen for figuring in this work in September last. =| 
Drscr. Dwarf, densely tufted. Leaves erect, 1 to 14 inch 
long, slender, subulate and narrowed to both ends, cylindric, 
channelled down the face; petiolar portion very short, 
Sheathed. Scapes 1-2-flowered, very slender and rigid, al- 
most capillary, rough with minute warts, bearing two or more 
distant short appressed sheathes which are truncate at the 
mouth. Flowers nearly an inch long, red-brown with yellow 
tails and the sepals suffused with yellow towards the 
base. Ovary very short. Dorsal sepal small, ovate, concave, 
