2006 



MASDEVALLIA 



MASDEVALLIA 



maturely. When it is convenient, solid beds are prefer- 

 able; benches, however, will answer the purpose very 

 well, and when used should be covered about 2 inches 

 deep with sifted ashes, sand or gravel; the benches and 

 floors should be hosed down once or twice daily to 

 afford all the cool moisture possible. 



In winter the temperature should range between 50 

 and 55 F. at night and about 60 during the day or 5 

 more on mild days, with weak solar heat and ventila- 

 tion. Artificial heat must be dispensed with as early in 

 spring as possible, and during summer the temperature 

 kept as low as the weather will permit, ventilating 

 freely, especially at 

 night, when a light 

 syringing overhead 

 will also prove 

 beneficial. Midday 

 syringing in hot 

 weather is often in- 

 jurious and should 

 be done with cau- 

 tion if at all. More 

 benefit will result 

 from hosing down 

 the shelves and 

 paths at intervals of 

 three or four hours, 

 as it will help to 

 reduce the tempera- 

 ture. 



Masdevallias 

 need a great deal of 

 water at the roots 

 at all seasons, and 

 the soil should never 

 be allowed to dry 

 out, as they have 

 no fleshy pseudo- 

 bulbs to protect 

 them against ex- 

 treme changes. 

 Light syringing 

 overhead during 

 winter and spring 

 in fine weather will 

 assist in checking 

 thrip and red- 

 spider, and a weak 

 solution of tobacco 

 may be added with 

 good effect. 



The best season 

 for repotting and 



basketing the plants 2329 . Masdeva iiia coccinea. (xy s ) 

 is during November 



and December, and the best general compost is a mix- 

 ture of clean peat fiber and sphagnum moss chopped 

 rather fine and well mixed, some sections requiring in 

 addition a portion of chopped sod. About one-third of 

 the space should be devoted to clean drainage consisting 

 of either broken charcoal or potsherds. 



M. coriacea, M. elephanticeps, M. Peristeria, M. 

 Reicheribachiana, and kindred species, grow best in 

 small pots, and should have one-third chopped sod 

 added to their potting compost. M. macrura, M. 

 Schlimii, M. tovarensis, M. amabilis, M. coccinea, M. 

 Veitchiana, M. triangularis, M. polysticta, M. muscosa, 

 and the numerous other allied species, grow equally well 

 in either pots or baskets, but should the latter be used 

 it would be well to add a small portion of chopped sod to 

 the compost to make it more firm and less porous; the 

 sod has a cooling effect on the roots. M. bella, M. 

 Garden, M. Chestertonii, M. Chimsera, M. Houtteana 

 and their allies nearly all have pendulous flower-scapes, 

 and should be suspended from the roof in baskets in a 

 compost of equal parts chopped peat-fiber and live 



sphagnum, with a little leaf-mold added. The flower- 

 scapes often penetrate through the compost; for this 

 reason little or no drainage should be used, as it may 

 retard their progress. 



To increase the stock the plants must be divided dur- 

 ing the early winter; this will give them a chance to 

 reestablish themselves before the following summer. 

 They must not be broken up into too small pieces, as it 

 has a tendency to weaken them. 



INDEX. 



REVIEW OF THE SECTIONS. 



SECTION I. Scape 1-fld. ; calyx-tube rather nar- 

 row, tubular or somewhat funnel-shaped; label- 

 lum plane Species 1-7 



SECTION II. Scape 1-fld. ; calyx-tube broad, gib- 

 bous or basin-like; labellum plane Species &-24 



SECTION III. Scape several-fld. ; labellum plane 



and narrow Species 25-37 



SECTION IV. Scape mostly 1-fld., pendent or sub- 

 erect; labellum saccate, or at least much broad- 

 ened ; tails very long Species 38-44 



SECTION V. Scapes 1-fld. This section differs 

 from all the others by the subterete Ivs., and in 

 having the tails inserted below the apex of each 

 lateral sepal Species 45 



SECTION I. 



A. Calyx-lobes glandular with minute 



papillae 1. Veitchiana 



AA. Calyx-lobes not glandular. 



B. Tail of the dorsal lobe hanging for- 

 ward 2. militaris 



3. rosea 

 BB. Tail of the dorsal lobe erect and 



straight 4. amabilis 



5. Davisii 



6. Barlaeana 

 BBB. Tail of the dorsal lobe reflexed and 



flexuous 7. coccinea 



1. Veitchiana, Reichb. f. Tufted: Ivs. 4-6 in. long, 

 narrow: peduncle erect and slender, 1 ft. or more, with 

 2 or more bracts (the upper one remote from the fl.); 

 calyx with bell-shaped tube, the expanding lobes 3 in. 

 across, orange-red, with purple shades, glandular-hairy, 

 abruptly contracted into short, narrow tails; petals 

 white, hidden. Peru. B.M. 5739. C.0. 4a. Var. 

 grandiflSra, Hort., has a dense hairy covering on the 

 dorsal lobe of calyx; and also on the outer part of the 

 lateral lobes, the inner part orange-scarlet. C.O. 46. 



2. militaris, Reichb. f. & Warscz. (M. ignea, Reichb. 

 f.). Much like the last, but differs in having elliptic or 

 elliptic-obovate Ivs., which are long-petioled, and in the 

 lateral calyx-lobes being only prominently pointed, 

 not tailed, the dorsal lobe very narrow and hanging 

 forward between the other two: color orange and 



