Tap. 5698. 
MAXILLARIA Hovrrsana. 
Native of Guatemala and Venezuela. 
Nat. Ord. OrcuipEx.—Tribe VANDER, 
Genus Maxitiaria, Ruiz & Pav.; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. 
p. 555.) 
Maxittarra (Caulescentes) Houtteana ; rhizomate elongato suberecto vaginis 
lanceolatis acuminatis brunneis tecto, vaginis superioribus pseudobulbum 
supremum s#quantibus, pseudobulbis lineari-oblongis compressis lavibus — 
monopbhyllis, folio sessili sex-pollicari lineari obtuso medio profunde 
canaliculato, pedunculo cum ovario 1-1} pollicario suberecto, flores 
erecto sub 2-poll. latio, sepalis ovato-lanceolatis acutis aureo-marginatis 
intus rubro-purpureis, basin versus aureis, dorsali allo latiore 
fornicato, lateralibus patenti-recurvis, petalis erectis sepalis concoloribus 
apicibus conniventibus, labello late oblongo apice rotundato pubernlo 
aureo ultra medium sanguineo maculato, lobis lateralibus obsoletis, disco 
atro-purpureo fasciato callo tumido instructo, columna maculata, anthera 
conico-hemispherica papillosa, polliniis obovoideis cohwrentibus, glandula 
transverse elongata arcuata. 
M. Houtteana, Reichb. f. in Hamb.: Gartenz. vol. xiv. (1858) p. 212. Regel, 
Gartenfl. vol. vii. (1858) p. 286. 
M. Houtteana is very nearly allied to M. tenuifolia, 
Lindl. (Bot. Reg. t. 1986 (in note), and vol. xxv. t. 8) of 
Mexico, differing chiefly in the longer narrower pseudo- 
bulbs, and broader bright green leaves. The specimen 
figured was obtained from the Brussels Botanical Garden 
in 1891. It flowers annually in the cool Orchid House 
of the Royal Gardens, Kew, in April; the flower lasting 
for a month or more. 
_ Deser.—Rhizome erect or ascending, stout ; internodes 
an inch long or less, clothed with brown, lanceolate sheaths, 
the uppermost of which are as long as the young pseudo- 
bulbs, lower successively shorter. Pseudobulbs two to two 
and a half inches long, sessile, linear-oblong, compressed, 
smooth, pale green. Leaf solitary, sessile, six inches long 
by half to three-fourths of an inch broad, linear, obtuse, — 
somewhat curved, dark green above, with a deep median 
channel, beneath paler and keeled. Pedunele with the 
ovary, one and a half to two inches long, up-curyed, stout, 
May 1st, 1897. 
