MASDEVALLIA CHIMAIRA Rchb. f. var. ROEZLII. 
Masprvauri1a Cuimara var. Rorziu, Veitch Manual Orch. pt. V. (1889), p. 31. 
M. Roezlii Rehb. f. Xen. Orch. II. (1874), p. 196, t. 186, fig. II. ; Belg. Hort. 1875, p.319 ; Linnea XLI. 
(1877), p. 9; Gard. Chron. 1880, pt. IL, p. 778 ; 1881, pt. IL, p. 3837; Lindenia vol. I. (1885), pl. 
XV., p. 35 (non Rchb.f). 
Sub-var. rubra Warn. et Will. Orch. Album vol. VI. (1887), t. 243. 
HE habitat of MW. Chimera var. Roezlii is Frontino in Antioquia, on the slopes of the 
Cerro Plateado, and the Mucinga districts, and it was probably there that Roezl 
discovered it, although no exact locality is given by Professor Reichenbach in his first 
description from Roezl’s specimens in 1874. It is the darkest in colour of all the varieties 
of M. Chimera, the black-purple spots being suffused over almost the whole surface of 
the sepals. The most remarkable variation in var. Roezlii from the type is the absence 
of long hairs upon the sepals, these being replaced by numerous short warts or asperities. 
The lip is wider and shallower than in M. Chimera, and pale pink with no tinge of 
yellow. It was probably these marked characteristics which led Professor Reichenbach 
to consider M. Roezli a distinct species, while he admitted that his MW. Backhousiana 
might ultimately prove to be only a variety. Sub-varieties of var. Roezlii are numerous, 
less spotted or paler in colour, the brightest being swb-var. rubra, in which the spots are 
chocolate-crimson instead of black. 
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, side view ;— 
2a, petal, inner side ; 3, lip ;—4, column ;—4a, apex and section of column ; all enlarged ;—5, apex and 
section of leaf, natural size. 
