MAspEvALiia VEITCHIANA. 
the stunted shrubs found here and there, or by projecting rocks, produce larger flowers; 
in the former case the plants are more tufted and more floriferous, but the flowers are 
smaller. At this great altitude, notwithstanding the tenuity of the atmosphere, the 
heat from the direct rays of an almost vertical sun is very great on clear days, but the 
nights are damp and chilly; the range of temperature is therefore very considerable. 
Vapour is constantly rising from the streams and valleys below, keeping the atmosphere 
always highly charged with moisture; besides this, rain is frequent, even in what is called 
the dry season.” 
Although MZ. Veitchiana rarely produces more than one flower upon the same stem, 
a plant at Newbattle, from which the accompanying plate was drawn, for several 
successive years developed stems bearing two flowers, the upper flower expanding some 
days after the lower, and being always considerably smaller. There were besides, single- 
flowered stems upon the same plant. Professor Reichenbach, to whom a two-flowered 
stem from this plant was forwarded, noticed it in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1883, pt. L., 
p. 662, as var. biflora. Variation in the size and colour of the flower appears to be due 
only to more or less successful methods of cultivation. 
In the first published figure of JZ Veitchiana, plate 5739 of the Botanical Magazine, 
drawn by Mr. W. H. Fitch, the plant is represented with a small pseudo-bulb, and 
several botanical publications, copying or slightly altering their plates from this figure, 
perpetuated the error. No species of the genus Masdevallia has pseudo-bulbs. The 
grooved leaf-stalk springs from a rigid rounded stem, often more slender than the leaf- 
stalk itself, and concealed by a sheathing bract-like membrane surrounding the base. 
Several hybrids have been artificially raised between M. Veitchiana and other species 
of Masdevallia, viz. : 
M. Chelsoni Rehb. f. Gard. Chron. 1880, pt. I., p. 554; an artificial hybrid between 
M. amabilis and M. Veitchiana ; colour, orange-red, more or less closely set with minute 
crimson hairs. 
M. splendens Rolfe, Gard. Chron. 1889, pt. L., p. 619; an artificial hybrid between 
M. Veitchiana and M. amabilis, the reversed cross of the above; colour, brilliant 
orange-crimson, with amethyst hairs. 
M. Gairiana Rehb. f. Gard. Chron. 1884, pt. IL. p. 88; an artificial hybrid between 
M. Veitchiana and M. Davisii; colour, orange-yellow, with crimson hairs. 
M. splendida Rehb. f. Gard. Chron. 1878, pt. I., p. 493; colour, orange-scarlet, with 
purple hairs. 
M. Parlatoreana Rehb. f. Gard. Chron. 1879, pt. L, p. 172; colour, brilliant orange- 
scarlet, with crimson-purple hairs. 
The two last-mentioned hybrids are especially interesting as having been found 
growing wild in the habitat of I. Veitchiana. Professor Reichenbach, on examining 
wild specimens of MJ. splendida, suggested that the plant might be a natural hybrid 
between MW. Veitchiana and M. Barlceana, or between M. Veitehiana and M. amabilis. 
His opinion was afterwards confirmed, a plant exactly identical with the wild specimens 
of M. splendida having been raised by Mr. Seden, in the establishment of Messrs. 
Veitch, by fertilising flowers of IZ. Veitchiana with pollen from flowers of M. Barleana. 
M. Parlatoreana has been proved to be the result of the reversed cross, and has 
larger and more brilliantly coloured flowers than splendida. 
Explanation of Plate, drawn from a plant at Newhattle Abbey : 
Fig. 1, petals, lip, and column, in natural position ;—la, section of ovary ;—2 and 2a, petals from 
different specimens, inner side ;—3 and 3a, lips from different specimens ;—4, column ;—4a, apex of 
column ; all enlarged ;—5, apex and section of small leaf, natural size. 
