MASDEVALLEA VENT RICUIGARIA Rehb. & 
MASDEVALLIA VENTRICULARIA Rehb. f. Otin Bot. amb. (1878), p. 14. 
Leat 5 or 6 inches long, oblone-lanceolate, apex tridenticulate, narrowing 
helow into a slender erooved 
petiole, sheathed at the base. bright creen, 
Un ‘lo oD mes . ’ wr * ] ] j 
Pedunele 2 or 3 inches lone. terete, slender, with two sheathing bracts, bright green, ascending from 
Within the sheath at the base of the petiole ; flowering bract 3 inch long, membranous apiculate. sheathing 
helow. brownish. 
Ovary J inch long. with six erooves, green shaded with brown, 
Sepals cohering for about 25 inches, forming a narrow inflated tube, vellow at the base. free portions 
trinneular-ovate for 2 inch, the dorsal one cueullate, the lateral ones angled at their junction, all rich 
Prownish-crimson, with numerous darker streaks. and terminating in slender yellow tails 1 to 3 inches lone 
Petals oblong, curved, apiculate, angled on the anterior margin, white, with a few crimson spots. 
Lip oblong-ovate. with two longitudinal keels. and united to the foot of the column by a hinge, dull 
purple. 
Column a little shorter than the petals. erect, apex denticulate, white. 
LTHOUGH WW. rentricularia was discovered by Dr. Jameson, during his travels in 
Ecuador, it was not from his specimens that Reichenbach named and described 
the plant. In 1877 it was found again by Consul Lehmann, on the western slopes of the 
mountains of Calacali, near Quito, and he informs me that it was upon the small short- 
tailed form, fig. 5 of the accompanying Plate, that Reichenbach bestowed the name, and 
from which he wrote his description. It has never been in cultivation, and is, even in 
Ze 
its native habitat. a rare species, confined to sinall areas in only a few localities. Several 
Varicties exist. the extremes of which are well shown in the graceful drawing supplied 
for the present work by Consul Lelnmann, who has had unusual opportunities of obsery- 
ine the plant. We first found it at Anque near Quito, represented by the short-tailed 
varicty (fig. 5). and again on the western slopes of the Cerro del Corazon between the 
Pucnte de Yambova and Milligallé. The long-tailed variety was found by him at the 
Paratlones de Cali in the Province of Cauca, and other slightly differing forms exist at 
Prontino in Antioquia aud on the Alto de Loaiza, Cauca. It grows most frequently 
upon the thin diana-like branches of Psamuisia, Eurygania, and other Vacciniaceous 
shrubs. and sometimes also quite near the ground on the trunks of decaying trees in 
damp shady forests, at an clevation of 1,800 to 2,200 meétres (5,850 to 7,160 feet) above 
sea-level, 
Explanation of Plate, froma drawing by Consul Lelmann : ; 
. : . 9} § vat ays (yy ee stalwanner side =oie 
Fie. 1. petal. lip. and column. vateral size ;—2, lip 2a, back of lip ;—8, petal, inner side : 
petal, outer side —t. petal and column, much enlarged ;—-5, type ot tlic flower, first ngmed® )y 
Reichenbach, 
