MASDEVALLIA INFRACTA Lindl. 
Maspbevattia Inrracta Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orch. (1883), p. 193; Bot. Reg. 1838, p. 40, misc. 64; Belg. 
Hort. XXII. (1873), p. 357, t. XXII; Flore des Serres, vol. XXIII. (1880), p. 43, t. 2389; Gard. 
Chron. 1881, pt. IL., p. 305. 
M. longicaudata Lemaire Mlustr. Hort. vol. XV. (1868), mise. p- 109; Gard. Chron. 1881, pt. IL., p. 305. 
M. albida Pinel MSS. fide Lemaire Illustr. Hort. vol. XV. (1868), misc. p- 109. 
Var. purpurea Rehb. f. Gard. Chron. 1883, pt. IT., p. 460 ; Orchidophile (Godefroy) vol I. (1883), p. 761. 
Leaf 4 or 5 inches long, about ? inch wide, oblong-lanceolate, fleshy, apex tridenticulate, bright green, 
very shining, narrowing into a slender grooved petiole, pale green. 
Peduncle 6 or 8 inches long, erect, sometimes terete, more often angled, bright green, many-flowered, 
each flower falling off before the expansion of the next; bracts about 3 inch long, carinate, apiculate, 
sheathing below, ovate above, bright green or brownish. 
Ovary about } inch long, with three broad and three narrow rounded angles, whitish or pale green. 
Sepals: dorsal sepal united to the lateral sepals for about 4 inch, forming a wide tube, free portion 
triangular-ovate for about 3 inch, 3-nerved, cucullate, purplish-pink, terminating in a slender tail 14 inch 
long, greenish-yellow ; lateral sepals cohering for about # inch, gibbous below, roundly ovate, 3-nerved, 
purplish-pink, darker along the nerves, terminating in slender greenish tails, ? inch long. 
Petals about + inch long, linear, apiculate, anterior margin slightly keeled, inner surface viscid below 
the keel, white, with pale pink spots, apex pale yellow. 
Lip about } inch long, oblong-pandurate, angled and keeled, margins and apex reflexed, dull pink with 
numerous crimson spots, apex dull orange and crimson. 
Column nearly 4 inch long, narrowly winged, white and pale green, apex crenate. 
ASDEVALLIA INFRACTA was discovered by Descourtilz, a French traveller and 
botanist, in the year 1809, and is therefore the oldest Masdevallia in cultivation, 
the only species discovered at an earlier date being the Peruvian IZ. uniflora, upon which 
the genus was founded in 1798 by Ruiz and Pavon. This species is,now of uncertain 
identity, and was never introduced into cultivation. 
The first imported plants of WZ. infracta were probably those sent to Paris in 1828 by 
Mons. Pinel, a resident near Rio de Janeiro. These plants were supplied to him by 
Morel, who, during his explorations in the surrounding country, collected them at Penna 
near Canta Gallo. A drawing of the plant was made in 1838 by a daughter of Mons. Pinel, 
and published thirty years afterwards in “ L’Tllustration Horticole,” by the Editor, Mons. 
Lemaire, who thought fit to substitute the specific name /ongicaudata for that of albida, 
under which the drawing was sent to him. The first description of MZ. infracta was 
published by Dr. Lindley in March, 1833. : 
Explanation of Plate, drawn from a Plant at Newbattle Abbey : 
Fig. 1, petal, lip, and column, in natural position ;—la, section of ovary ;—2, petal, inner side ;— 
3, lip ;—4, column ;—4a, apex of column ; a// enlarged ;—5, apex and section of leaf, natural size. 
