Tas. 6273. 
MASDEVALLIA ATTENUATA, 
Native of Costa Rica. 
Nat. Ord. Orcuiprem.—Tribe PLevRoTaaLLipE®. 
Genus Maspevatuia, Ruiz. and Pav. (Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orchid, p. 192). 
MaspEVALLIA attenuata; parvula, dense cespitosa, foliis patulis lineari-obo- 
vatis imo apice 3-denticulatis in petiolum subelongatum angustatis crasse 
coriaceis dorso carinatis facie canaliculatis, scapis 1-floris gracilibus foliis 
brevioribus glaberrimis, bractea ovario breviore obtusa, floribus parvis pedicel- 
latis albidis v. stramineis caudibus flavis, perianthio 4-poll. longo campanulato- 
tubuloso subtus basi gibbo breviter 3-lobo, lobis in caudas patenti-recurvas 
filiformes tubo fere duplo longiores abrupte angustatis, petalis oblongis 
obtusis, labelli inclusi lamina lingueeformi apice unguiculato, disco carinis 2 
distantibus medio tumidis percurso, columna apice denticulata. 
M. attenuata, Reich. f. in Gard. Chron., 1871, p. 834. 
The genus Masdevallia appears to be coming into cultiva- 
tion as fast as the Indian Dendrobes were some ten to 
twenty years ago, and from a somewhat similar cause to 
that of the Dendrobes. This was owing to the residence of 
two accomplished amateurs (Parish and Benson) in the pre- 
viously unexplored head-quarters of the genus; in that of 
Masdevallia it was owing to similar explorations of the pre-. 
viously little-known mountains of Costa Rica, New Granada, 
and Peru. 7 3 
M. attenuatais one of Mr. Veitch’s introductions, and flowered 
in the Royal Gardens in December, 1874, from specimens 
presented by Mr. William Saunders. : 
_ Reichenbach remarks that the dried native specimens 
have the perianth glabrous within, whilst that of the fresh 
ones is finely velvety ; the contrary of which is frequent in 
Masdevallias. 
_ Drscr. A small, densely-tufted species, with very nume- 
-rous leaves and flowering scapes. eaves with the petioles 
three to four inches long, spreading and almost recurved ; 
blade one and half to two inches long, by one-third of an 
