48'8 



ORCHID-GROWERS MANUAL. 



bearing each a large flower, 4 ihclies long, with the dorsal sepal small, yellow, 

 roundish, ending in a long reflexed yellow tail, and the two lateral sepals reddish 

 or chestnut-brown, broad and cymbiform at the base, each abruptly attenuated 

 into a long yellow tail ; thus there is a purplish-brown pouch-like base, with a 

 few paler streaks, and three divergent orange-yellow tails from 3 to 4 inches 

 long. On the inside of the lateral sepals are five corrugated ribs, which meet at 

 the apex and form corresponding ridges on the outer surface. The colours 

 of the flowers are said to have a bluish metallic lustre, like the plumage 

 of some of the humming birds. This plant is extremely rare. — New Grenada: 

 Antioquia. 



Fm.—Xenia Orck., ii. 1. 193 : Hot. Mag.,'t. 6208 ; VJll. JTort., 3rd ser., t. \%Q>; moral 

 Mag., 2nd ser., t. 413 ; VcUch's Man. Orch. PL, v. p. 41 ; \Voolio.%rd'a Masd,., i. t. 4. 



^Ys.—M. TnchUus : M. Colibri. 



M. ESTRADAE, Bclih. /.—A little gem of profuse-blooming habit. Its 

 densely-tufted leaves areelliptic oblong or spathulate, obtuse or bi-fid, coriaceous 



in texture, deep green, about 

 4 inches long including the 

 petioles. The scapes are erect, 

 slender, single-flowered ; the 

 sepals are combined at the base 

 into a short campanulate tube, 

 with a spreading limb, nearly 

 equal in size, the dorsal one 

 oblong boat-shaped, half an 

 inch long, yellow in the lower 

 and violet-purple in the upper 

 half, suddenly contracted into 

 a yellow filiform tail an inch 

 long ; the lateral sepals are 

 similar, but flatter, violet- 

 purple below and whitish 

 above, each ending in a filiform 

 tail. The general effect of the 

 plant is very pleasing. This 

 species was first observed in 

 the garden of Dona Estrada, a 

 lady of New Grenada, who is described as a skilful grower of Orchids ; it was 

 first introduced by us in 1873. — New Grenada. 



FlG.—Bot. Mag., t. 6171 ; Bcme Hort. Bclgc, 1887, p. 133 (plate) ; Woolward'i 

 ',, iii. t. 27. 



MASDEVALLTA ESTKADAE. 



M. FALCATA, O'Brien. — This is a hybrid between M. Lindenii and 

 M. Veitchiana, and was raised by D. 0. Drewitt, Esq., of Riding Mill-on- Tyue, 

 the result being a flower " equal in general appearance to the best form of 

 M. CheUoni, and it is as showy as some of the forms of M. Veitcluana." The 

 colour of the flowers is yellow "studded closely with minute purplish-crimson 

 papillae, the colour deepening as the tails are approached to a deep bright 

 red." — Garden hyhrid. 



