MASDEVALLIA. 63 



elevation, where it was discovered by Schlim in 1843 — 44. It 

 was not introduced into European gardens till 1883, when it was 

 sent to Messrs. Sander and Co., of St, Albans, by one of their collectors. 

 It was shortly afterwards found by our collector, Burke, on the 

 eastern Cordillera of New Granada, near Cocui, whence it spreads 

 northwards along the Cordillera, with a vertical range of 9,000 — 

 11,000 feet to near Bucaramanga, In this locality it is purely 

 epiphytal, growing only on the old stunted trees where decaying 

 vegetable matter can rest and accumulate. Its nearest affinity is 

 Masdevallia Ephippium, but its large leaves much resemble those of 

 M. macrura ; its flowers are curious and even showy, but wanting 

 the brilliant tints characteristic of the species incKided in the 

 sub-section Goccinece. 



M. Simula. 



A minute caespitose plant. Leaves linear, 2 — 3 inches long, chaimelled 

 and bright grass-green above, but sometimes tinged with dull purple, 

 obscurely keeled beneath. Peduncles with ovary |- — | inch high, sheathed 

 by scarious, pale brown bracts, one-flowered. Flowers half an inch in 

 diameter ; perianth tube short, upper sepal ovate, acuminate, concave 

 on the inner side, keeled behind, pale yellow, evenly barred Avith 

 purple ; lateral sepals free, ovate, falcate, acuminate, brighter yellow 

 than the upper sepal and Avitli small purple sjiots ; petals linear, 

 greenish ; lip much larger, broadly tongue-shaped, didl vinous purple. 

 Masdevallia siumla, Rchb. in Gard. Chrou. III. (1875), p. 8. 

 Introduced by us in 1874 from New Granada, through Chesterton, 

 who gave no locality. It is noticed here on account of its gem- 

 like flowers, which are of surprising beauty when viewed through a 

 common pocket lens. 



M. tovarensis. 



Leaves elliptic-spathulate, 5 — 6 inches long, obscurely toothed at the 



apex. Scapes as long as the leaves, three-angled, bi-bracteate at 



the apex, 2 — 5 flowered. Flowers an inch across transversely, pure 



white ; tube cylindric, slightly gibbous below ; upper sepal filiform, 1^ 



inches long, dilated into a triangular base ; lateral sepals oval-oblong, 



three-nerved, connate to two-thirds of their length, rather abruptly 



contracted at their apex into short awns ; petals and lip oblong, the 



former unequally two-lobed, the latter pointed and reflexed at the apex. 



Masdevallia tovarensis, Rchb. in Bonpl. III. p. 225 (1855). Id. in Linnaja, XXII. 

 p. 818 (1857). Bot. Mag. t. 5505. Gard, Ghron. 1865, p. 914, icon. xyl. Fl. 

 and Pomol. 1873, p. 169. ' Illua. hort. XXVI. t. 363. M. Candida, Klotzsch. 



