Tas. 7245. 
MASDEVALLIA LEontToOGLOsSA. 
Native of New Grenada, 
Nat. Ord. OrncuipEs. Tribe Errpenprea. 
Genus Maspevatiia; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant., vol. iii. p. 492.) 
Maspevattia Jeontoglossa ; coespitosa, foliis breviter petiolatis crasse coriaceis 
lanceolatis apicibus acutis recurvis basi angustatis dorso costatis 
fusco-rubris marginibus recurvis, pedunculis radicalibus 1-floris brevibus 
crassis sigmoideo-recurvis basi breviter vaginatis, floribus magnis decurvis, 
bracteis spathaceis ovario brevioribus, sepalis lanceolatis longe acumi- 
natis coriaceis basi in saccum costatum postice gibbum (lateralibus 
altius) connatis extus pedunculoque viridibus rubro-purpureo punctatis, 
intus rufo-purpureis plagis saturatioribus maculatis, Ndea: recurvo, 
petalis pallidis oblongo-lanceolatis acutis margine antico gibbis, labello 
oblongo obtuso supra saturate purpureo apicem versus scabrido. 
M. leontoglossa, Reichb, f. in Bonplandia, vol. iii. (1855), p. 69; in Gard. 
Chron. 1881, i. 234. 
The genus Masdevallia is now swollen to indeterminable 
dimensions by the multiplication of supposed specific forms, 
many of them almost undistinguishable, round several 
well-marked types. These await a master hand in 
Orchidology to reduce them within definable specific 
limits. Of such types one of the oldest is that represented 
by M. coriacea, published in 1845 by Lindley in the 
* Annals and Magazine of Natural History” (vol. xii. 
p- 257), from specimens brought by Hartweg from Bogota, 
and which has been figured from native specimens by 
Karsten in the “ Flora of Colombia,” and by Mr. Rolfe in 
*‘Lindenia” (vol. vii. t. 295). According to Karsten’s 
figure and that in Lindenia, M. coriacea differs conspicuously 
from leontoglossa in the tall erect strict scapes, and this is 
confirmed by native specimens; but the plate in “ Lindenia” 
shows much shorter and stouter scapes than that in 
the Flora of Colombia. Other characters of M. leonto- 
glossa are the longer tails to the sepals, especially that 
of the dorsal, the colour of the flowers, and the 
tendency to a dark purple epidermal covering of the leaves 
JuLty Isr, 1892, 
