orange-yellow, the upper sepal being marked with three narrow purple lines, while 
the lower sepals are streaked with three broad, curved lines of purple. 
MASDEVALLIA BELLA. Native of Colombia. 
A striking species of the dog-fish group. It grows in dense tufts, the leaves being 
about 8 inches long, wedge-shaped and channelled, narrowing at the base, which 
is sheathed with short bracts. The flower scapes are pendent, about 6 inches long, 
thin, wiry and twisted, and carry a single large, fantastic flower which is claimed 
to resemble an enormous spider. The three sepals are large, united at the bases 
by their edges, thus making an irregular triangle some two inches across. The 
apices taper away to tails about 4 inches in length, that of the upper one bending 
backwards, while the two lower ones bend forwards and cross. The lip is kidney- 
shaped and nearly an inch across, while the small petals are attached like ears to 
the column. In colour the sepals are ochre-yellow densely spotted with purplish- 
brown, while the tails are deep purplish-brown. The lip and the petals are white. 
On the underside the flower is a uniform, dull, deep purple. Flowers in Autumn, 
the blooms lasting up to three weeks. 
MASDEVALLIA CARDERI. Native of Colombia. 
One of the small species with flowers of bell-like shape and of rich yellow colour. 
The thin leaves are about 5 inches in length and less than an inch in breadth 
and are very slightly narrowed at the base. The scapes, pendent from the base 
of the stems, are about 3 inches long, and carry a single flower. The sepals are 
united practically their full length, and form a bell about an inch across and 
half an inch deep. They are yellow at their broadened base, then have a band of 
purple, then a space of white, after which they spread into one-inch bright yellow 
tails. The inside of the sepalic bell is hairy, the petals and the lip small and white. 
They flower in midsummer and last a couple of weeks in perfection. 
MASDEVALLIA CAUDATA. Native of Central America. 
One of the loveliest of the smaller varieties. Its ovate leaves rarely exceed 4 inches 
in length and an inch in width, the bases being narrowed into a stalk. The flower 
scape reaches a height of five inches, and bears a solitary bloom which is about 
an inch and a half in width without counting the 24-inch tails which terminate 
the sepals. As is usual with the genus the petals and lip are insignificant. The 
sepals are united at the base, forming a sort of saucer. They then spread, the upper 
one being the largest, and finish with the long tails referred to above. The upper 
sepal is yellowish-red freely dotted with deep red spots and lined with red nerves. 
The lower petals are a deep rose-pink dotted plentifully with red. The tails are 
green at the base and topped with yellow. The brilliance of its colouring makes 
this species one of the most popular of the genus, and it is well worth including 
in any collection. Flowers in Spring, the blooms lasting from two to five weeks, 
according to weather conditions. 
Syn. M. Shuttleworthii. 
- 204 . 
