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MASDEVALLIA IGNEA. 
[PLaTE 62. | 
Native of New Grenada. 
Epiphytal. Stems slender, erect, tufted. Leaves evergreen, coriaceous, six to eight 
inches long, the blade deep green, elliptic-oblong, blunt or notched at the apex, 
keeled behind, and narrowed below into a long slender channelled petiole, which is 
invested at the base by one or two membranous sheaths. Scapes slender, radical, 
ten to twelve inches long, invested at the base by sheaths, and having a sheathing 
bract beneath the blossom like those of the leaves. lowers remarkable in form, 
and brilliant in colour, paler on the outer surface; dorsal sepal keeled, attenuate or 
subfiliform from a triangular base, bent down between the two lateral sepals so as 
to occupy the sinus, pale orange-red; lateral sepals connate below, elliptic-oblong, 
acute or apiculate, obliquely incurved, of a vivid cinnabar-red or glowing orange- 
scarlet, with three deeper red nerves; all united at the base into an incurve gibbous 
tube ; petals white, small, included, ligulate, acute, hastately auricled at the base in 
front; lip white, small, enclosed, unguiculate, linguiform, subeordate at the base, 
crenulate in front. Colwmn erect, wingless. 
MAspEVALUIA IGNEA, Reichenbach (fil., in Gardeners Chronicle, 1871, 1482; 
Hooker fil., Botanical Magazine, t. 5962; Moore, Florist and Pomologist, 1873, 
169, with coloured plate; André, Illustration Horticole, t. 333; Gardeners Chronicle, 
1872, 545,. fig. 149; Floral Magazine, 2 ser., t. 10. , 
This is a most distinct species of Masdevallia, and one that should be welcomed 
wherever richly coloured flowers are required, whether it be for exhibition purposes, 
or as a distinct companion to the other fine members of this genus. For the supply 
of cut flowers it will be found invaluable, on account of its distinct glowing colour. 
There are a great many varieties among the species of this genus—some of which 
are infinitely superior to the one here figured, and the most select and distinct of which 
we hope to be able to illustrate at a future time. We find upon reference to those 
publications wherein the various Masdevallias have been figured, that the several 
artists have done but scant justice to their remarkable beauty, owing, we suppose, 
to the frequent want of the pigments necessary to represent truthfully their rich 
colouring and markings. We refer here more particularly to that section of the 
genus represented by M. Harryana. Since the publication of some of these plates, 
however, the chemist has had the good fortune to discover the two lovely colours, 
magenta and mauve, by the aid of which we are now enabled to pourtray more 
accurately than before these wonderful productions of nature, the Orchids, in which 
the two colours referred to largely preponderate. 
