MASDEVALLIA UNIFLORA Ruiz et Pav. 
Masprvarrra untrnora Ruiz et Pay. Flor. Peruy. et Chil. Prodromus (1794), p. 122, t. XXVIL.; Syst. 
Veg. Flor. Peruy. et Chil. vol. I. (1798), p- 288 ; Humboldt, Bonpland, et Kunth Noy. Gen. et 
Spec. Plant. vol. I. (1815), p. 361, t. 89 (non Ruiz et Pav.); Lindl. Gen. et Spec. Orch. (1833), 
p. 193 ; Rehb. f. Bonplandia TV. (1856), p. 216 ; 3ele. Hort. 1873, p. 360. 
Leaf 4 or 5 inches long and 4 inch wide, oblong-lanceolate, narrowing below into a long slender 
grooved petiole, sheathed at the base, apparently bright green, apex tridenticulate. 
Peduncle 5 or 6 inches long, terete, slender, ascending from within a sheath at the base of the petiole, 
with two sheathing bracts, green ; pedicel from 3 to 3 inch in length ; flowering bract about } inch long, 
apiculate, sheathing below. 
Ovary nearly 2 inch long, curved, with six grooves, green or purplish. 
Sepals cohering for about 4 inch, forming a rounded tube, all ovate-triangular, 3-nerved, white, yellow 
at the base, terminating in slender purplish tails about 4 inch long. 
Petals } inch long, oblong, with a curved angle on the anterior margin, apex dentate, probably white 
with one purple streak. 
Lip 4, inch long, oblanceolate, thickened at the base, margins very slightly waved, probably pale 
purple, with three central lines and purple apex. 
Column not available for description. 
HSPECIAL interest attaches to Masdevallia uniflora as the first Masdevallia made 
known to science. It was discovered by Hippolito Ruiz and José Pavon, Spanish 
botanists who travelled in Peru and Chili between the years 1777 and 1793, to explore 
for the Spanish Government the Cinchona forests of Peru. The name M asdevallia was 
originated by them in honour of their fellow-countryman Dr. Josepho Masdevall, a 
celebrated botanist and physician of the eighteenth century. The only locality known 
as the habitat of J. uniflora is Huassa-huassi, about twelve miles from Tarma, a small 
town in a valley of the Peruvian Andes, 9,738 feet above the level of the sea, and about 
125 miles E.N.E. from Lima. Tarma was the head-quarters of Ruiz and Pavon during 
the autumn of 1779, and the result of their numerous expeditions in the neighbourhood 
of this town was the discovery of many new and rare plants. At the date of their visit 
to Huassa-huassi, it was a small village of about forty inhabitants, and is described by 
Ruiz in his diary as being situated in the depths ofa steep narrow ravine, upon the 
banks ofa mountain torrent of the same name, which precipitates itself rapidly from rock 
to rock in one continuous and beautiful cascade of snow-white foam. About five miles 
from the village stretched the primeval forests, up to the borders of which barbarous 
Indian tribes from remote regions carried on their campaigns. The mountain slopes 
around Huassa-huassi are very beautiful, covered with brilliant flowering plants, among 
which Orchids are the most abundant, their bulbs crowding the entire surface of the 
driest and most rocky ground, while their curious and elegant flowers fill the air with 
fragrance. : 
In the Quichua language—the language of the Incas of Peru—the name Huassa- 
huassi signifies “many houses,” and the local name for MZ. uniflora is stated to be 
“ Rima-rima,” an appellation given in this part of Peru to many other flowers, especially 
Orchids. 
Since its discovery, more than one hundred years ago, MV. uniflora has never again 
been met with, and there is no record that its habitat has since been visited by any 
botanist. It has never been in cultivation, and is only known to botanists as a dried 
plant, of which, so far as I can ascertain, four specimens still exist, two in the Museum 
at Madrid, one in the Boissier Herbarium at Chambésy, and a small one consisting of a 
bud and two leaves (fig. 11 in the accompanying Plate), given to me by Dr. Miguel 
Colmeiro of Madrid. To Dr. Colmeiro I am also indebted for the graceful drawing 
here published—executed by his former pupil, Sefior Manuel Janér, from the best of 
Description of Plate: 
Fig. 1, flower ;—2, petals, lip, and column ;—3, petals ;—4, lip and column ;—5, lip ;—6, anther-case ; 
—7, anthers ;—8 and 9, seed-capsules ;—10, seeds ;—11, specimen sent from Madrid. 
