MASDEVALLIA CIVILIS Rchb. f. 
Masprvar1ia civitis Rehb. f. Bonplandia II. (1854), p. 115; Walp. Amn. VI. (1861), p. 191; Bot. 
Mag. t. 5476 (1864); Belg. Hort. 1873, p. 356; Gard. Chron. 1881, pt. IL, p. 236; Veitch 
Manual Orch., pt. V. (1889), p. 33. : 
M. equiloba Regel, Gartenfl. IX. (1860), p. 82, t. 285; Belg. Hort. 1873, p. 353; Gard. Chron. 1881, 
pt. IL, p. 236; Orchidophile (Godefroy), 1881, p. 83. 
M. rufolutea Lindl. Wrswez. Cat. 1853 ; Gard. Chron. 1853, pp. 192 and 328. 
Leaf 8 or 9 inches long, 2 to 4 inch wide, linear, recurved, very thick and fleshy, apex obtusely triden- 
ticulate, dull green, narrowing below into a very thick, deeply-grooved, pale green petiole, with large 
membranous sheaths at the base. 
Peduncle, including pedicel, about 3 inches long, with two or three sheathing bracts, erect, terete, 
attenuate towards the base, bright pink below, greenish above, with numerous small crimson spots ; 
flowering bract 4 inch long, 3-nerved, closely sheathing below, with a rudimentary bud within at the base, 
pale green or purplish. 
Ovary about 4 inch long, with six rounded angles, shining, pale green spotted with crimson. 
Sepals: dorsal sepal united to the lateral sepals for about ? inch, forming a wide tube ; lateral sepals 
cohering for about 1 inch, gibbous beneath ; all sepals ovate-triangular for nearly 4 inch, 3-nerved, fleshy, 
greenish-yellow spotted with dark crimson-brown, inner surface rough with minute silver-white hairs, 
outer surface shining, crimson near the base, nerves dotted with minute brown spots ; each sepal termin- 
ating in a slender flattened tail, orange-yellow in front, dark brown or spotted at the back. 
Petals about 4 inch long, slightly curved, linear at the base, very thick and fleshy, margins angled 
and much thickened, white, very shining, with a broad central streak of crimson, base rich crimson, apex 
acute, greenish. 
Lip a little longer than the petals, oblong, fleshy, base deeply grooved in the centre, with a hollow 
nectary on each side, anterior portion with one central and two lateral keels, all widening and terminating 
in a rounded warty line, dull greyish-white, with numerous dark crimson spots, apex rough with obtuse 
papilla, blackish crimson. 
Column 2 inch long, very thick, winged, pale green outside, brilliant crimson within, foot dark rich 
crimson. 
ASDEVALLIA CIVILIS was discovered by Warscewicz upon the eastern slopes of 
the Peruvian Andes, and was first described by Professor Reichenbach in 1854- 
A description and an uncoloured Plate are given by Regel in “ Gartenflora ” of 1860, 
under the name of Masdevallia equiloba, a plant which he considers to be distinct from 
M. civilis, and which was also collected by Warscewicz in the Andes of Peru. The very 
Explanation of Plate, drawn from a plant at Newhattle Abbey : 
Fig. 1, petals, lip, and column, in natural position ;—la, section of ovary ;—2, petal, inner side ;— 
3, lip ;—8a, base of lip, showing nectaries (much enlarged) ;—4, column ;—4a, apex of column; all 
enlarged ;—5, apex and section of leat, natural size. 
