MASDEVALLIA. 43 



First fouud by Ciistav Wallis in tlie gai'den of a New Graiiadian 

 lady, named Dona Estrada, to whom it is dedicated It was intro- 

 duced in 1873, by Mr. B, S. Williams, of Holloway, from the province 

 of Antioquia, throng-h Patin, a Belgian collector. The variety, which 

 differs from the type in nothing except colour, is doubtless from 

 the same locality in New Granada, for although the materials for 

 description were supplied by us, we have no record of its origin. 



M. floribunda. 



A (hvrti'f, tufteil plant. Leaves (jblanceolate-oblong, 3 — 4 inches long 

 including the foot-stalk. Scapes numerous, slender, decumbent, longer 

 than the leaves, one-flowered. Flowers pale buff-yellow dotted with 

 brown-purple ; perianth tube cylindric, with a small gibbosity at the 

 base on the lower side ; free portion of sepals very short, that of the 

 upjier one triangular, of the lateral two rotund ; tails, of Avhich the upper 

 one is the longest, slender, recurved, reddish ; petals linear-oblong, 

 toothed at the tip, Avhite ; lip 'nearly heart-shaped at its base, con- 

 stricted below the middle and Avith red-brown blotch at the tip." 



Masdevallia floribunda, Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1843, misc. p. 72. Rchb. in Gard. 

 Chron. VIII. (1877), p. 616. M. Galeottiana, A. Rich, et Gal. Ann. Sc. Nat. s. 3, 

 III. (1845), p. 17. M. myriostigma,* Morren in Belg. hort. 1873, p. 359, t. 33. 



A very floriferous species, native of Mexico, and the first Mas- 

 devallia from that country that became known to science. It was 

 gathered by Galeotti, in 1840, in the neighbourhood of Vera Cruz, and 

 living plants were probably sent by him to Europe, for one was in 

 cultivation three years later in the collection of the late Mr. Eogers, 

 at Sevenoaks, from whom Dr. Lindley received materials for naming 

 and description. It was re-introduced in 1873, by Messrs. Jacob- 

 Makoy and Co., of Liege. 



M. G-argantua. 



A robust plant. Leaves oblong, fleshy, 6 inches long. Scapes 

 terete, shorter than the leaves, one-flowered. Flowers large and leathery; 

 perianth tube broadly cylindric, pale yellow-green above, gibbous and 

 stained with dull purple beneath ; free portion of upper sepal yellow, 

 triangular, contracted into a tapering reflexed tail 2 inches long ; 

 lateral sepals oblong, terminating in divergent tails an inch long, 

 verrucose, brown-purple bordered with yellow on the inner side ; petals 

 oblong, whitish ; lip tongue-shaped, very hairy, deep purple. Column 

 thick, whitish Avith some purple markings. 



Masdevallia Gargantua, Rchb. in Gard. Chron. VI. (1876), p. 516. 



* Calami lapsu passim fere, "myriosigma," \vhich is meaningless. See Gard. Chron. loc. 

 cit. supra. 



