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MASDEVALLIA CHIM/ERA rm./. 



VAR. MOO RE AN A Samder. 



Coespitosa, foliis lineari-oblanceolatis acutis basi angustatis sed vix petiolatis 6—8 pollicaribus longis, scapis horizontalibus v. subercctis foliis brevi- 

 oribus v. longioribus 5—6 bracteatis 3 — 5 floribus heterochronicis, bracteis ovato-lanceolatis, sepalis in tubum brevem late campanulatum connatis, dein late 

 ovatus in caudas longas filiformi-subulatas abrupte angustatis, citrinis sanguineo maculatis, intus pilis longis vestitis, petalis brevibus cuneato-oblongis, labello 

 breviter stipato obovato-oblongo saccato, marginibus inflexis dentatis, nervis intus carinatis, columna acuta. 



MASDEVALLIA CHIMERA, Rchb. f. in Gard. Chron., 1872, p. 463 ; 1875, i., p. 41, fig. 5 ; 1875, ii., pp. 233, 258 ; 1881, ii., pp. 112, 113, fig. 26 ; Rchb. 

 f., Xen. Orch., II., p. 195, t. 185 and 186, fig. 1 ; Fl. Mag., n. s., 1855, t. 149 ; Orchid Album, V., t. 203. 



Masdevallia Chimaera is a grotesque and very remarkable species, now familiar to every orchidist, though we can imagine the astonishment of its 

 discoverer on seeing it for the first time. Reichenbach remarks : " I cannot remember to have ever been more astonished than when I received this remark- 

 able flower. Had I only seen the sketch I should have suspected some April joke." It was originally discovered by M. Roezl, at Choco, on the Western 

 Cordillera of New Granada. He sent a sketch and a dried flower to Reichenbach, from which material the species was described, in 1872. He, however, 

 failed to send living plants to Europe. Later, his nephew, Frank Klaboch, sent plants to Mr. Sander, and these arrived alive. Gustav Wallis detected a 

 similar plant at Frontino, in Antioquia, and sent plants to M. Linden, of Brussels, who distributed them. These were afterwards found to be mixed with a 

 smaller-flowered species, M. nycterina, which flowering in 1873, before the true plant, was at first mistaken for it, and also figured as such. Subsequently 

 Wallis' M. Chimaera flowered, and was figured in two or three different works. M. Roezl, however, objected to the determination, and pointed out that the 

 plants detected by him had the scapes 2 feet long, the sepals more attenuated, and the tails much longer ; in consequence of which Reichenbach separated 

 Wallis' plant under the name of M. Wallisii. It was not until several years afterwards that Roezl's plant was introduced to cultivation, though we find it 

 figured in the Gardeners' Chronicle in 1881. The vertical range of Masdevallia Chimaera is from 4,500 to 6,500 feet, growing chiefly on trees and shrubs and 

 preferring the forks of branches where there is a small accumulation of decaying vegetable matter, and plenty of shade and moisture. It is most abundant in 

 localities where the atmosphere is always at or near the saturation point, and fogs and mists occur almost daily for nine months of the year. In the higher 

 limits of its range the plants are said to be less vigorous, but more floriferous ; the leaves smaller and more leathery, the scapes shorter and more erect, and 

 the flowers smaller. The variety here depicted is a fine form, with the ground-colour deeper yellow than usual. A'. A. Roife. 



The Masdevallias of this group or section have now become so numerous and extraordinary in size, form, and colouring 

 that nothing much less than a volume of Mr. Moon's plates would do them justice. Baron Schroder and Sir Trevor 

 Lawrence both possess variations almost unique, and Charles Winn, Esq., of The Uplands, Selly Hill, near Birmingham ; 

 Sidney Courtauld, Esq., of Braintree, Essex; Baron Hruby, of Peckau ; and Mr. G. Lauche, of Eisgrub, are also noted 

 specialists, having collections exceptionally rich in varieties of M. Chimaera. 



The splendid variety now illustrated by us flowered in the celebrated collection of orchids at the Royal Botanical 

 Gardens at Glasnevin, near Dublin — a collection of orchids that is without doubt one of the most complete and excellent 

 in point of cultivation existant in any European public garden of our time. The genera Masdevallia and Cypripedium 

 are more especially well represented, and hence it seems right that this brilliant and beautiful novelty among M. 

 Chimaera should be dedicated in compliment to F. W. Moore, Esq., A.L.S., who has had charge of the beautiful 

 Glasnevin Garden ever since the death of his father, the late Dr. David Moore, some fourteen or fifteen years ago. 



The history of this variety is as follows : In April, 1891, Mr. Moore purchased the plant from us as an imported 

 plant. It has a deeper yellow ground colouring than usual, and when it flowered at Glasnevin in July, 1892, our Mr. 

 Sander saw it, and perceiving its distinctive characters, at once gave it the varietal name of " Mooreana." Mr. Moore 

 possesses a very complete series of M. Chimaera varieties, from all of which, however, this appears to be most distinct ; 

 but as he himself kindly writes, "good and showy as it is, there are others even finer in some ways, viz., M. C. stupenda, 

 as grown by Sir Trevor Lawrence (Rchb. f. in Gard. Chron), and M. C. gigantea is another variety of great excellence." 



After repeated trials and changes the most experienced cultivators have found that these Chimaeroid Masdevallias 

 succeed best in a span-roofed cool orchid house having a minimum temperature of 50 deg. at night. They should be 

 planted in baskets of well-drained fibrous compost, and be suspended near to the glass. As so treated they are 



