Marvel of Peru 



Masdevallia 



equal parts of loam and leaf soil, with sand, until 

 they are in 6" pots, which size will be large 

 enough to accommodate fine specimens. The size 

 and colour of the flowers may be improved by 

 liquid manure twice a week when the plants have 

 filled the pots with roots, not before. Fragrans 

 also makes a pretty border plant, if planted out 

 about the middle of June. 



Principal Species : 



fragrans, 2', sum., aut., grh., crim. pur., rather 

 straggling, fruit two- horned, may be pickled when 

 young in vinegar, and eaten. 



MASDEVALLIA. 



Description. A genus of a hundred or more 

 plants (ord. Orchidacese), of dwarf, close-growing, 

 tufted habit. The leaves are stout and leathery, 

 and though they vary in size, their form is almost 

 always a modification of the lance shape. The 

 flower spike springs from the base of the leaf 

 stalk, and though slender, it is usually wiry. In 

 the majority of cultivated species only one flower 

 is borne on each scape, but in some, as in the 

 popular tovarensis, two, three, or more are pro- 

 duced, and in some others there is even a slender 



MASDEVALLIA SHUTTKYANA (see p, 58). 



Other Species ! 

 diiiinlru, 2', Jy., grh. proboscidea. 1' to 3', Jy., 



aim., wh., red. grh. auu.,vio., wh. (/. 



lutea, 1' to 2', Aug , grh. anuua). Will flower 



mm., or. yel. for several months if 



p'.anted out. 



MARVEL OF PERU (ei MIRABILIS 



JALAPA). 

 MASCARENHASIA. 



Stove trees and shrubs (ord. Apocynese), with 

 large flowers. Cuttings of the young shoots may 

 be rooted in spring, in sandy soil, with brisk 

 bottom heat. Soil, fibrous peat, loam, and sand. 

 The. plants may be treated generally like Dipla- 



Principal Species : 



curiiowiana, Aug., st., sc., a rather frail-looking 

 shr 



racemose inflorescence. The flowers are very- 

 distinct in form, the three sepals being attractive 

 instead of the lip and retals, which are quite 

 insignificant, so that the flowers assume a more oi 

 less triangular shape, with the points extended to 

 form tails. The colouring is often very bright, 

 and Masdevallias are among the most effective of 

 Orchids. One section of the genus has drooping or 

 depending: spikes. 



Distribution. Masdevallias are wholly American, 

 being found at high elevations on the Andes, from 

 Mexico to Peru, where the atmosphere is rare, 

 cool, and always at saturation point. 



Compost. Whether found on rocks or on tree 

 Item*, Masdevallias naturally need very little 

 material about their roots, consequently, under 



Marumia (of lifinicartlt, gee Saurauja). 

 Mart/gold (see Marigold}. 



