MASDEVALLIA IGNEA MASSANGEANA. 
[PLaTE 273.] 
Native of New Grenada. 
‘Epiphytal. Stems densely tutted. Leaves evergreen, borne upon rather long foot- 
stalks, elliptical in shape, blunt pointed, somewhat conspicuously ribbed, coriaceous in 
texture, and deep green in colour. Scape slender, much longer than the leaves, furnished 
with one or two appressed narrow sheathing bracts, and supporting a single, large, 
trifid flower. Flowers upwards of two inches across; sepals rich bright orange- 
vermilion, shaded with rosy purple, three-nerved, the nerves being of a more 
intense colour, upper sepal subulate, deflexed, lateral ones ovate, rounded at the 
ends, connate to below the middle, and tapering to the acute approximate tips; 
petals small, linear-oblong, obtuse, hidden; /ip small, hidden, furnished with a 
short claw, tongue-shaped, somewhat cordate at the ‘base, white, flushed with 
pale rosy purple, and toothed in front. Column erect, rounded, and destitute of 
wings. 
MASDEVALLIA IGNEA MasgancEana, Williams, Orchid-Grower’s Manual, 6 ed., 
This is another of those richly coloured and remarkable plants, which so long 
temained desiderata in our gardens, and, although they were collected in vast 
numbers, they, for many years successively, died during their transit between 
their mountain homes and the port of shipment for Europe; we have now, however, 
quicker and better means of communication than formerly with the interior of Peru 
and New Grenada, and understand better how to pack these plants, and, conse- 
quently, we are more successful in their importation than was the case a few years ago. 
The subject before us is a splendid variety of the typical Masdevallia ignea, 
Which species is of a pleasing colour and one that is deservedly admired, owing to 
ts being so distinct in character from many others of the genus. There are several 
Varieties of M. ignea, viz.: M. ignea superba, which has large brilliant coloured flowers, 
and - Mf. wnea aurantiaca, which has flowers of a bright orange, but M. 2 bttih 
Massangeana is distinct both in the form and size of its blossoms. When this variety 
18 well grown, it forms a beautiful object, and bears a very large number of its showy 
flowers simultaneously, which can be seen from our accompanying representation, which 
Was taken from the collection of M. D. Massange de Louvrex, Chateau de Baillonville, 
Marche, Belgium, who is famed for the great numbers of well-grown specimen Orchids 
Contained in his collection, and who kindly sent us this fine example for our — ee 
Copy. It is now several years ago since we first saw this fine variety with M. 
‘ ®, and it was then it received its name, and was afterwards described 
™m ~ Orchid-Grower’s Manual, 6th edition, page 393. 
