The Culture of Greenhouse Orchids 



of mail steamers became frequent, it was a rare 

 chance indeed if any reached Europe alive. Of 

 familiar species I find that Mas. triangularis was 

 introduced in 1843 ; Wagneriana in 1855. Next 

 came the glorious Veitehii in 1868; Harryana in 

 1869. Nearly all the rest in cultivation are more 

 recent. 



Koezl reported an amazing species in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Medellin, New Granada that very 

 interesting town which Philip II. peopled with 

 Nuevos Christianas Jews converted by the logic 

 of the Inquisition. His Majesty thought that 

 removal from the homes familiar for so many 

 generations of tolerance and prosperity, under the 

 Moors, would tend to confirm their dubious faith; 

 and he judged rightly, for there are no Catholics 

 more devoted than the people of Medellin. But in 

 their neighbourhood grows a Masdevallia called 

 La Vidua (the widow). Its leaves stand two 

 feet high, six inches broad, " as thick as a pancake," 

 said Koezl. The flower resembles in shape, and 

 almost in size, a snow-white duck, hanging with 

 the beak downwards ! Such was Koezl's statement. 



He brought home one species which has not 

 been seen since ; it speedily died out. This was 

 Livingstoniana. I have told the story in " About 

 Orchids," but not every one, unfortunately, has 



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