MASDEVALLIA PUSILLA Rolfe. 
Maspevariia pester. Rolfe in New Bulletin, 1895, p. 334, 
Leaf nearly 4 inches Jong. linear-linceolate, recurved, carinate at the back. apex acutely tridenti- 
enlate. narrowing below into a grooved petiole, sheathed at the base, bright creen. 
Pedunele about 25 inches lone, terete, slender, descending or lateral trom the hase of the petiole, 
jointed. with a small closely sheathing bract at cach joint, dull reddish-green ; flowering bract } inch 
long. apiculate. sheathing below. membranous, pale green, 
Ovary scarcely | inch long, with six rounded angles, dull crimson. 
Sepals: dorsal sepal united to the lateral sepals for 4, inch, forming a narrow cup, free portions 
ovate-triangular for about | ineh, d-nerved, the central nerve carinate ; lateral sepals cohering for nearly 
) inch, reunded below, oblong-ovate ; all the sepals dull vellowish-white spotted with crimson, 
especially upon the nerves. covered on the inner surface with minute elongated papilla, and terminating 
in slender terete vellow tails, about $ inch long. 
Petals very minute, oblong, with small angles upon the margins, apex )i-lobed and rounded, with 
minute papilke between the lobes, pale yellow spotted with rust-red. 
Lip about twice as long as the petals, basal portion large and fleshy, united to the foot of the column 
by a flexible hinge, deeply hollowed in the centre. the anterior portion shell-like, with three central keels, 
very minute, pale yellow, with pink spots. 
Colunm a little longer than the petals. apex denticulate, with two points much prolonged, pale vellow. 
HE habitat of Wasdeealia pusilla is unknown, and the only information to be 
obtained about it is, that it first flowered in the collection of the Royal Botanic 
Gardens at Dublin, in 1891, and was sent by Mr. F. W. Moore to Kew, where it was 
named and described by Mr. R. A. Rolfe. It is chiefly interesting as the smallest known 
species of the Saceolabiate, the tiny lip, petals, and other organs, showing in miniature 
all the curious structural peculiarites of its larger allies. 
Explanation of Plate, drawn from a plant in the Royal Botanie Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin : 
Fie. 1. petal. lip. and column, in natural position ;—la, section of ovary ;—2, petal, inner side ;— 
Za. petal, side :—3. lip :—4. column ;—da, apex of column ; all enlarged ;—5, apex and section of leat, 
natural size. 
