NEW OR NOTEWORTHY ORCHIDS 
Guatemala, Department of Alta Verapaz, Cubilquitz, 
H. V. Tuerckheim 7784, August 1900. Flowers rose-brown. 
(Type in Herb. Ames No. 7341.) 
Masdevallia Livingstoneana Roezl & Reichb. f. in 
Gard. Chron. ser. 2, 2 (1874) 322; Reichb. f. in Gard. Chron. 
ser. 2, 4 (1875) 290; Woolward & Lehm. Genus Masdev. 
(1896) 151, under Species now excluded from the Genus 
Masdevallia (Referred to Pleurothallis); Rolfe in Orch. 
Rev. 26 (1918) 119; Schltr. in Fedde Repert. Beihefte 
17 (1922) 15; Ames Sched. Orch. 4 (1923) 9. 
Scaphosepalum panamense Schltr. in Fedde Repert. 
12 (1913) 205. Masdevallia panamensis Ames Sched. Orch. 
4 (1923) 9. 
The type of Masdevallia Livingstoneana was discovered 
by Benito Roezl in the autumn of 1873, presumably near 
Cnlebra on the Isthmus of Panama. Most of the plants 
which made up the type collection were nearly dead when 
they reached England, but a few which survived the ocean 
voyage were sold at auction in London for F. Sander. 
Reichenbach published two descriptions. The first one 
appeared in the Gardeners’ Chronicle of 1874. At Roezl’s 
request the species was dedicated to Dr. Livingstone. The 
first description was sadly incomplete. In it no mention 
whatever was made of petals, labellum or column. It would 
seem that Reichenbach had to rely on a water-color sketch 
in the preparation of his diagnosis. At all events, a water- 
color sketch found a place in his herbarium and bears on its 
face what appears to be a rough draft of the original de¬ 
scription. 
In 1875, when Reichenbach published his second de¬ 
scription, he began the English characterization with these 
significant words: “ I have just the first two fresh flowers at 
hand.” From this statement I assume that he had not seen, 
at an earlier date, dried flowers which were serviceable for 
analysis. It may well be that with the first flowers available 
for a complete diagnosis he hastened to clarify a species 
which he knew well had been imperfectly characterized. 
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