MASDEVALLIA SCHROEDERIANA Hort. 
MaASpEVALLIA ScurRoEDERIANA, Tort. Sander, 1890. 
Leal 5 or 6 inches long, oblong-lanceolate, carinate at the back, apex tridenticulate, narrowing below 
into a slender grooved petiole, sheathed at the base, bright green. 
Pedunele 7 or 8 inches long, terete, slender, erect from within the sheath at the base of the petiole, 
pale green ; bract about 3 inch long, membranous, ovate, apiculate, sheathing below, with a minute 
rudimentary bud within at the base, pale green, 
Ovary 3 inch long, with six rounded angles, pale green. 
Sepals : dorsal sepal united to the lateral sepals for 2 inch, forming a narrow tube, free portion 
broadly triangular for nearly | inch, eucullate, 5-nerved, rich orange-vellow shaded with crimson, with 
two dark crimson spots. terminating ina slender tail about 2 inches long, rich orange, pale greenish-yellow 
at the hase: Iateral sepals cohering for more than 1 inch, oblong-triangular, 3-nerved, the nerves 
prominent, the spaces between hollowed inwards, white, with a broad border of rose-crimson on the outer 
Inargin, terminating in slender tails about 12 inches long, rich orange, pale greenish-vellow at the base. 
Petals | inch long. oblong. very thick and fleshy, margins waved, pale pink, with rose-coloured spots 
and a darker central stripe. 
Lip a little longer than the petals. fleshy at the base and united to the foot of the column by a hinge, 
oblong. with two small longitudinal keels near the centre, apex recurved, pale pink, with a few darker 
spots and a central line near the apex. 
Column a little shorter than the petals, narrowly winged, apex denticulate, white, with pink spots. 
BE a botanical species there seems no reason to separate Masdevallia Schroederiana 
from MW. fulvescens, intermediate forms, one of which is shown at fig. 6 of the 
accompanying Plate, connecting the two very closely. The structure of the two plants 
is remarkably alike, and a description of one would apply equally well to the other, 
differences occurring only in size and in richness of colouring. Unfortunately, no 
botanical description of JZ, Schroederiana was published at the time of its first appear- 
ance in Mr. Sander’s collection, although it was, and still is, advertised in his catalogue 
under this name. The Orchid Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society awarded 
a First-class Certificate, July sth, 1890, to a plant then shown in flower by Baron 
Schroeder, whose name it bears, but it was not until September of the same year that 
Mr. Rolfe named and described AL fiulrescens in the ‘ Gardeners’ Chronicle.” The 
name JW. Schroederiana has therefore the priority, although the plant was not botanically 
described, and it is to be regretted that this, the first introduced and finest form of 
the species, should not be considered the type. L have therefore decided to give a 
separate Plate of extreme forms of this plant, leaving it for future decision whether 
they should be considered distinct, or merely varieties of one species. Its habitat and 
discoverer are unknown, 
Explanation of Plate, drawn from a plant at Newbattle Abbey : 
Fig. J. petal. lip. and column, in natural position ;—Ia, section of ovary ;—2, petal, inner side ;— 
3. lip s— 3a. apex of lip ;—4, column ;—da, apex of columm 3 a// enlarged ;—5, apex and section of leaf; 
—(. variety 3: natural size. 
