MASDEVALLIA HIEROGLYPHICA Rehb. f£. 
MASDEVALIIA HiERoGLYPHIcA Rehb. f. Gard, Chron. 1882, pt. IL, p. 230; 1885, pt. IL, p. 584; 1887, 
pt. IL, p. 334; Orchidophile (Godefroy) 1881, p. 400; 1886, p. 2; Veitch Manual Orch. V. 
(1889), p. 45. 
Leaf about 44 inches long, oblong-oval, tridenticulate, bright green, narrowing below into a slender 
grooved petiole, yellowish-green, with very minute black spots, sheathed at the base. 
Peduncle 3 inches long, 
sheath at the base of the petiole ; flowering bract 2 inch long, 
3) 
with brown. 
very slender, with two sheathing bracts, pale green, ascending from within a 
membranous, apiculate, pale green tinged 
Ovary 4 inch long, with six grooves, whitish shining, with minute black spots. 
J A t=F) 5 2 ? 5) 
Sepals: dorsal sepal united to the lateral sepals for $ inch, forming a wide tube, eibbous below free 
i } 2 ? co) t) t=) ? 
portion triangular-ovate, cucullate, 3-nerved, terminating in a very slender decurved tail about 2 inches 
long, beneath the base of which is a fleshy oval papillus, crimson-purple ; lateral sepals cohering for 4 
inch, triangular-ovate, the outer margin much rounded, 3-nerved, tapering into slender tails 24 inches 
? 5 ’ 5S ? ? } 5 2 
long ; colour, yellow at the base of the tube, then semi-transparent whitish, spotted and nerved with 
purple-crimson, the lateral sepals paler, tails orange-yellow shaded with crimson. 
Petals {3; inch long, ovate-oblong, with a vxrominent hooked keel on the anterior marein curvin, 
16 5) 3) c=Prt) 
forward in front of the column, pale yellow. 
Lip about } inch long, oblong, nearly flat, apex slightly recurved, dull purple, with numerous minute 
darker spots and three inconspicuous longitudinal lines. 
Column 4 inch long, with long triangular wings, widest at the base, white, the wings spotted and 
shaded with dark purple. 
MM ASPEVALLIA HIEROGLYPHICA is nearly allied to J. Arminii, but differs 
remarkably in some respects from that and all other species. The wings of the 
column are curiously developed and prolonged on each side, especially towards the base 
(see figs. 4 and 4a), and still more characteristic is the dark purple excrescence under 
the base of the dorsal tail, shown, enlarged, at x fig. 1. No other known species has this 
peculiarity, and it seems inexplicable that Professor Reichenbach should have over- 
looked such a remarkable feature when he wrote, from fresh specimens, his minute and 
accurate description of the colouring of the flower in Gard. Chron. 1885, pt. IT., p. 584. 
The use of this curious wart in the economy of the plant may possibly be to check 
unsuitable insects in their attempts to enter further into the flower, presenting an 
attraction beyond which they do not care to penetrate. This surmise is founded on the 
fact that in almost all the numerous specimens which I have examined, this succulent 
morsel has been gnawed by insects, and in some cases entirely consumed. 
The first plants of this species were imported from Ocafia by Messrs. Sander in 
1882, no further information as to its habitat being available. 
Explanation of Plate, drawn from a plant at Newhattle Abbey : 
Fig. 1, petal, lip, and column ;—1a, section of ovary ;—2, petal, inner side 3—3, lip ;—3a, apex of 
lip ;—4, column ;—4a, apex of column ; ail enlarged ;—5, apex and section of leaf, natural size. 
