Tab. 7824. 

 MASDEVALLIA elepitanticeps. 



Native of New Grenada. 



Nat, Ord. Okchide,«. — Tribe Epidendre^. 



Genus Masdevallia, Buiz & Pav.; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant, vol. iii. 



p. 492.) 



Masdevallia (Coriceao) elephanticeps ; foliia 6-10-pollicaribn8 lineari-oblongis 

 oblanceolatiave iu petiolum crassum angustatis crasae coriaceis supra 

 luride viridibuB, petiolo antice sulcato basi vaginis 1-2 tubulosis mem- 

 branaceis laxis pallide brnnneis instructo, pednnculis petiolo 8uba!qni- 

 longis subflexuosia deorsnm attenuatis monocephalis internodiis ^-f poll, 

 longis, vaginis bracteisque basi tabulosis dein campannlatis acuminatia 

 membranaceis, floribus subhorizontalibus 3-4 poll, longia crasse coriaceis, 

 perianthii tubo saccato basi rotundato flavo-viridi purpureo suffuso, sepalo 

 dorsali porrecto a basi late ovata in caudam validam bipollicarem flavi- 

 dam angustato, lateralibus intus rubro-purpureis ultra medium connatis 

 in Cauda 3 flavidas recurvas pollicares angustatis, petalis spathulatia 

 obtusis dorso crasse costatis, labello oblongo obtuso densissime papillose 

 luride purpureo. 



M. elephanticpps, Reichb.f. et Warsc. in Bonplandia, vol. ii (1854) p. 116, ct 

 Xen. Orchid, vol. i. p. 6. t. 3 ; Fl. des Serres, vol. x. t. 997 (I.e. Ken. 

 Orrh. it.). Veitch, Man. Orchid. Masdev. p. 40. Woohc. Masdev. p. 47, 

 t. 16. 



M. Gar?antua, Eeie^i. /. m Gard. Ghron. 1876, vol. ii. p. 516. Veitch, I.e. 

 p. 43. 



This, one of the most remarkable species of a ^enus 

 distinguished for the variety of the fantastic forms assumed 

 by its flowers, is very closely allied to M. Mooreona, 

 Reichb. f., figured at t. 7015 of this work. It was dis- 

 covered by the collector Warscewicz in 1850-1, on the 

 Eastern Cordillera of New Grenada, between Ocana and 

 Pamplona, at elevations of six thousand five hundred feet 

 to ten thousand feet. It has been in cultivation in the 

 Royal Gardens, Kew, for about twenty years, flowering in 

 the winter, and is remarkable for the"^ foetid odour of the 

 flowers. 



Descr. — Leaves six to ten inches long, linear-oblong or 

 oblanceolate, obtuse, narrowed into a very stout petiole, 

 thickly coriaceous, bright dark green and shining above, 

 pale beneath ; petiole with one or two lax, scarions, tubular, 

 brown, striate, membranous sheaths. Feduncles one or 



March Ist, 1902. 



