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MASDEVALLIA ARMINII Rehb. f. 
Moasprvaruia Amwixi Rehb. f Bonplandia II (1854), p. 288; TT. (1855), p. 69: Walp. Ann. Mie 
(ISG1). po IS9; Belg. Hort. 1873, p. 3545 Orchidophile (Godetroy) vol. I. (1881-3), p. 368; Gard. 
Chron, ISS], pt. IL, p. 236: 1882, pt. IL, p. 102: Veitch Manual Orch. pt. V. (1889), p. 24: 
Leaf 2 or 3 inches Jong and about 2 inch wide, oblong-lanceolate, apex tridenticulate, bright green, 
narrowing below inte a slender petiole, sheathed at the hase, pale green, with minute blackish spots. 
Pedunele. including pedicel, about 25 inches long, slender, terete, attenuate towards the base. 
gscending from a joint at the base of the petiole, vers pale green: bract about 3 inch long, membranous, 
apiculate, oblong-ovate, sheathing below, with a minute rudimentary bud within at the base, dull pale 
ereen. with very minute black dots, 
Oyary | inch long, round|y trianeular, with six wrooves, whitish green, with a few very minute black 
dots. 
Sepals: dorsal sepal united to the lateral sepals for about 4 inch, forming a shallow, open tube, free 
portion 2 inch long and nearly the same in width, ovate, cneullate, 3-nerved, rose-purple, terminating In 2 
slender orange-yellow tail, about 2 inches long; lateral sepals cohering for nearly 4 inch, free portion 
Vineh long and the same in width, triangular-ovate, 3-nerved, rose-lilac, with a small dark purple spot at 
the base of each, and terminating in very slender orange-yvellow tails 14 inch long; all sepals pale and 
semi-transparent at the base, the inner surfice covered with very minute semi-translucent asperities, and 
the central nerve outwardly carinate, 
Petals nearly | inch long, oblong, narrowing towards the apex, with a broad keel and angle on the 
anterior margin, very pale yellow, shining and fleshy, apex tridentate. 
Lip a little shorter than the petals, oblong, fleshy at the base and along the centre, united to the 
curved foot of the column by a very clastic hinge, vellowish tinged with pink, semi-transparent, apex 
slightly recurved. covered with small dark purple spots, and having a dark purple velvety boss in the 
contre 
Columm equalling the lip in length, slightly winged, with a triangular projection on each side near 
the toot. pale vellow, blackish-crimson at the apex and base, apex dentate. 
\ ASDEVALLIA ARMINIL was first described by Professor Reichenbach in 1854, 
from dried specimens collected by Louis Schlim in the mountains around Ocanha 
and Pamplona, in the Province of Santander, Colombia. No date is assigned to his 
discovery, but it appears to have been prior to the year 1849, when the plant was found 
by Hermann Wagener at La Baja, flowering in January at an elevation of 9,000 feet. 
The internal structure of JW. Arminii differs from that of other species in the 
remarkable projection upou cach side of the base of the column, shown at fig. 4 of the 
accompanying Plate. In the living flower this projection is closely surrounded, or 
embraced, by the curved angle of the petal, and must be designed to serve some pur- 
pose. at present unknown, in the fertilisation of the flowers by insects. 
Tam informed by Mr. PL Sander, who first imported living 
plants of IL. Arminii, 
that his collector found it growing smothered im mosses in the 
forks and branches of 
trees, on the western slopes of the Andes of Ecuador, the habitat of AL. rosea. 
Explanation of Plate. drawn from a plant at Newbattle Abbey ; 
. Fiz. 1. petal lip. and column. in natural position ;—la, seetion of ovary ;—2, petal, inner side ;— 
3. lips. column :— ba. apex of column ; a// enlarged ;—5., apex and section of leat, natural size. 
