1873. ] 



MASDEVALLIA CHIM^IIRA. 



a Masdevallia, not to be satisfied with, its hairy ornaments, but to deprive Cypri- 

 jjedia and Cataseta of their prestige, — that of having a slipper in lieu of a tongue ! 



I have a sketch prepared by the 

 lucky discoverer. It shows the leaf 

 cuneate-oblong, acute, a foot long. 

 The flower-stalks are represented 

 with five flowers ; the flowers are 

 described as yellow, with black 

 hairs ; the lip golden-yellow. It 

 has a widely opened flower, with 

 long tails, the fimbriate - oblong 

 sepals covered internally with stifi' 

 hairs. The petals are slit at their 

 apex into four wings, containing 

 in their centre a great warty body." 

 A few more facts concerning so 

 remarkable a plant may not be 

 uninteresting to our daily increasing 

 orchid-lovers and amateurs. The 

 annexed figure shows the general 

 contour of the flower. The sepals 

 are of a pale yellow colour, barred 

 and blotched with carmine, and 

 exceedingly hairy on their interior 

 surface, especially towards the mar- 

 gins. The lip is pure white accord- 

 ing to one account, received from 

 a source where the plant is well 

 known ; yellow according to another, 

 equally reliable. The plant itself 

 will shortly tell which of these 

 statements is true. 



This is not the only novelty that 

 exists in the Lindenian collection 

 of new orchids. There is yet 

 another, M. Colihri, the flowers of 

 which are of a lovely blue, similar 

 to the tints of the pretty Colibras, 

 after which it is named. We have 

 blue Disas, and now, not satisfied 

 with scarlets, yellows, reds, greens, 

 purples, lilacs, and crimsons, Masdevallias rush off into the celestial tint, coerulean 

 blue. What next ? Time alone can answer the enquiry. 



Masdevallia CHiiiJiRA. 



b2 



