is in a position to place the pollen on its stigmatic surface, 
and thus effect cross-fertilization. 
In the Australian genus Pterostylis (see tab. 6351) the 
lip plays the same part as in this Masdevallia. The 
filament of the stamen in Stylidiwm is similarly irritable. 
M. muscosa is a native of the Andes of Colombia and © 
Ecuador, at elevations of 5850 to 7475 ft., where the 
mean temperature ranges from 59° to 62° Fahr., flowering 
in September and October. The specimen here figured 
flowered in the Royal Gardens, Kew, in May, 1887. 
Descr.—Leaves one and a half to two inches long, oval- 
or -oblanceolate-oblong, coriaceous, deep green and papil- 
lose on the surface, clouded with purple beneath, tip 
minutely three-toothed, base narrowed into a channelled 
petiole shorter than the blade. Scape five to six inches 
high, one-flowered, very slender, covered with flexuous, 
glandular hairs, girt at about the middle by a small, 
tubular, obtuse, brown, membranous sheath. Bract a 
quarter of an inch long, like the sheath on the scape; 
pedicel rather longer than the bract, glabrous. Ovary 
decurved, hispid. Sepals yellow, streaked with purple, 
united into a campanulate tube gibbous at the base, then 
suddenly narrowed from a triangular base into slender, 
erect, or recurved tails one inch long, with clavellate tips. 
Petals small, linear, yellow, with a red midline, tip rounded, 
outer margin toothed above the base. Lip small, claw as 
long as the blade, tomentose with yellow hairs; blade 
triangular, golden-yellow towards the base, purple beyond 
it. Anther dorsal on the top of the column.—J. D. A. 
Fig. 1, Lip; 2, transverse section of Al i i ition of 
the anther :—Both enlarged. ion of Hower, showing the dorsal position 0 
