MASDBVALLIA. 37 



sepal triangular, keeled above, coloured like the perianth tube, and 



prolonged into a short broad tail ; lateral sepals oblong, yellowish, 



prolonged into acuminate points ; petals oblong, white with a purple 



mid-line ; lip tongue-shaped, reflexed, hairy above, greenish yellow, 



with purple mid-line and margined dots. 



Masdevallia coriacea, Lindl. in Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. XV. (1845), p. 257. 

 Rchb. in Gard. Chron. 1872, p. 1067. M. Bruckmiilleri, Hort. Low. 



Discovered in 1842 on the eastern Cordillera of New Granada, 



near Bogota, by Hartweg, from whose herbarium specimens it was 



named and described by Dr. Liadley ; it was afterwards found by 



Linden, Schlim and Weir in the neighbourhood of the same city, 



where it occurs on fully exposed slopes high up on the Cordillera, 



but all these collectors failed to send living plants to Europe. It 



was first imported alive by Messrs. Low and Co. in 1871, and was 



distributed by them under the name of Masdevallia Bruckmiilleri, in 



compliment to the collector who sent it to them, it being supposed 



at the time to be a new species. The specific name, coriacea, 



'Heathery," refers to the texture of the flowers. 



M. corniculata. 



Leaves oblong-lanceolate, 6 inches long, including petiole. Scapes half 

 as long as the leaves, one-flowered, with a large, pale green, prominently 

 keeled, ovate, acuminate bract embracing the ovary and base of 

 perianth tube. Flowers brownish red, mottled with pale yeUow ; 

 perianth tube broadly cylindric, bent, gibbous below ; free portion of 

 up})er sepal shortly triangular, suddenly contracted into a slender tail 

 2 inches long ; lateral sepals nearly oblong, reflexed, contracted into 

 slender tails that are shorter than the upper one and which point 

 straight dowuAvards ; petals ligidate, longer than the column, white 

 with yellow tips ; lip sub-pandurate, papillose at the apex, yellowish 

 spotted with purple, as is the short column. 



Masdevallia corniculata, Rchb. in Gard. Chron. IX. (1878), p. 72 



var.— inflata. 



Flowers somewhat larger, with the perianth tube more inflated, light 

 orange-yellow mottled with brown, paler l:>eneatli ; tails bright yellow. 

 M. corniculata inflata, supra. M. inflata, Rchb. in Gard. Chron. XVI. (1881), 

 p. 716. 



Introduced by Messrs. Backhouse from New Granada, in 1877, 

 and subsequently imported by other horticultural firms. The variety 

 inflata first appeared in Mr. Bull's collection in 1881. This species 

 and the next are well distinguished by the large hood-like bract 

 that sheaths the base of the perianth tube. 



