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MASDEVALLIA POLYSTICTA Rchb. f. 
Maspeva.tia potysticta Rehb. f. Gard. Chron. 1874, pt. L., p. 338 (nomen nudum) ; pt. IL, p. 290; 
1875, pt. L, pp. 40 and 656, fig. 134; 1881, pt. IL., p. 336; 1882, pt. L., p. 179 ; 1884, pt. I., p. 741, 
in group fig. 141; 1889, pt. I., p. 139; Ilust. Hort. XXII. (1875), p. 41, pl. CXCIX. ; Bot. Mag. 
t. 6368 (1878) ; Gartenflora (Regel) vol. XXV. (1876), p. 164, t. 869 ; Revue Hort. 1880, p. 250 ; 
Orchidophile (Godefroy) vol. I. (1881), p. 271, var. crassicaudata ; 1888, p. 283; Veitch Manual 
Orch. pt. V. (1889), p. 58. 
Leaf about 5 inches long, and 1 inch wide, oblong-lanceolate, apex tridenticulate, often much recurved, 
margins reflexed, narrowing below into a grooved petiole, sheathed at the base, bright green. 
Peduncle 8 or 10 inches long, many-flowered, terete, ascending from a joint at the base of the petiole, 
dull green, with minute reddish spots ; pedicels scarcely } inch Jong, terete, curved ;_ bracts } inch long, 
membranous, ovate, apiculate, concealing the pedicels and the base of the ovary, pale green. 
Ovary 4 inch long, with six crenate wings, pale green. 
Sepals: dorsal sepal united to the lateral sepals for about } inch, forming a wide tube, gibbous 
beneath. free portion ovate for 3 inch, 3-nerved, cucullate ; lateral sepals cohering for about inch, linear- 
lanceolate, 3-nerved, margins reflexed ; all white, with numerous small crimson or brownish-red spots, the 
inner surface closely set with translucent white hairs, the lateral sepals having a broad central streak of 
orange-vellow ; all terminating in slender tails about 2 inch long, often angled and thickened towards the 
apex. orange-yellow, greenish at the back, with a few smal] crimson spots. 
Petals about 4 inch long, spathulate, margins ciliate, with a strong kee] near the anterior margin, 
apex acute, white, with a few crimson spots along the keel. 
Lip about 4 inch long, pandurate, with two lateral lobes terminating in longitudinal keels near the 
apex, rich orange-vellow covered with minute crimson spots, apex reflexed, with a rounded central lobe. 
Column about 3 inch long, narrowly winged, apex denticulate, pale green, winged with crimson, and 
with a few crimson spots. 
ASDEVALLIA POLYSTICTA was discovered by Roezl in 1874 in the Northern 
Andes of Peru, where it is found in great abundance, growing with J. melanopus 
and M. caloptera. No detailed account of its habitat has been given. 
It is apparently an extremely variable species, scarcely two plants bearing exactly 
similar flowers. The spots upon the sepals vary greatly in number and size, and in depth 
of colour, being pinkish-purple in some specimens and in others chocolate-crimson. 
Some plants have thick, stiff flower-stems, and others very slender stems, while the 
leaves of some are straight and upright, and of others much recurved. The most 
distinctive characteristics of the species—in whatever form or variety—are the ample 
membranous bracts and the numerous white hairs within the sepals. : 
Explanation of Plate, drawn from a Plant at Newbattle Abbey : 
Fig. 1, petal, lip, and column, in natural position ;—la, section of ovary ;—2, petal, inner side ;— 
3, front of lip ;—3a, side-view of lip ;—4, column ;—4a, apex of column ;—all enlarged ;—9, apex and 
section of leaf, natural size ;—6, dark variety. 
