THE MOST USEFUL ORCHIDS 115 



regarded as the type have more or less pendulous flowers, and are 

 best accommodated in baskets and grown at the coolest end of the 

 intermediate house. 



Although Masdevallias are now relegated to a secondary- 

 position, there are about a dozen species and hybrids that are 

 deserving of attention where space permits or personal taste 

 demands, in fact there is a fine opportunity for amateurs to gain 

 fame in the Orchid World by cultivating Masdevallias in first-rate 

 style and exhibiting the results of their skill before the public. 



Masdevallias have their three sepals joined together at the 

 base, except in the M. Chimoera group, and the tips of the sepals 

 are usually extended into long slender " tails " ; this gives the 

 flowers a curious appearance, and an outline that is roughly tri- 

 angular. In most cases the flowers are borne singly on slender 

 stems, and they vary in size from the minute M. muscosa up to 

 the large M. macrura and M. Chtmara. 



Best Species and Hybrids 



M. AMABiLis, a small grower, with orange and carmine 

 flowers. M. Arminii, rose, shaded with purple, finely grown in 

 the Burford Lodge collection at Dorking. M. bella, pendulous, 

 dull yellow, heavily spotted with purple-brown, and with purple- 

 brown tails ; must be grown with M. Chimara. M. caudata, 

 buff^-yellow and rose. M. Chelsoni, orange and mauve, a fine 

 hybrid between M. Veitch'iana and M. amabilts. M. Chimera, 

 pendulous, tawny yellow with violet-purple spots and tails; this 

 species has numerous varieties, notably M. C. Backhouseana, 

 M. C. GoRGONA, M. C. SEVERA, and M. C. Wallisii. M. 

 coccinea is one of the very best species from a horticultural point 

 of view ; the flowers are brilliant scarlet, shaded with rose on the 



