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Liparis

Sub Family Epidendroideae 
Tribe Malaxideae 

  • Derivation of name from Greek Liparos, shiny, grasy in allusion to shiny leaves Perennial, epiphytic or terrestrial herbs. 

  • Stems ± creeping, branches pseudobulbous and short and thick, or long and narrow, sheathed. 

  • Leaves one or more, from the top of pseudobulb or stem, sheathing, ± plicate. 

  • Inflorescence Scape terminal, terete or angled and winged. Racemes dense or lax. 

  • Sepals and petals erect or reflexed; sepals mostly oblong-lanceolate, free, spreading; petals narrowly linear to filiform, very rarely broader. 

  • Labellum clawed, ± parallel to column, narrow; limb . broad,entire or bifid; calli .absent, or if present 1 or 2, conic, at base of lip. 

  • Column footless, rather long, curved, with narrow lateral wings above, rarely short.

  • Anther ovate, 2-celled, terminal, incumbent, opercular; pollinia 4, waxy, ovoid, united in pairs at their apices. 

  • Capsules ellipsoid or pyriform, erect or subpendulous.

Liparis odorata (Willd.) Limdl.

In Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 26 (1830)

  • Empusa odorata (Willd.) T.C.Hsu in Ill. Fl. Taiwan 2: 19 (2016)

  • Leptorkis odorata (Willd.) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 671 (1891)

  • Malaxis odorata Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 4: 91 (1805)

  • Empusa paradoxa Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 10: t. 825 (1824)

  • Leptorkis parishii (Hook.f.) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 671 (1891)

  • Liparis guamensis Ames in Philipp. J. Sci., C 9: 11 (1914)

  • Liparis longiscapa (Rolfe & Downie) Gagnep. in H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 6: 182 (1932)

  • Liparis odorata var. longiscapa Rolfe & Downie in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1925: 370 (1925)

  • Liparis paradoxa (Lindl.) Rchb.f. in W.G.Walpers, Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 218 (1861)

  • Liparis paradoxa var. parishii Hook.f. in Fl. Brit. India 5: 698 (1890)

  • Liparis parishii (Hook.f.) Hook.f. in Fl. Brit. India 6: 182 (1890)

  • Liparis simeonis Schltr. in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 20: 383 (1924)

  • Liparis teniana Kraenzl. in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 17: 112 (1921)

  • Liparis tenii Schltr. in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 17: 66 (1921)

  • Liparis tonkinensis Gagnep. in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 79: 167 (1932)

  • Malaxis lancifolia Sm. in A.Rees, Cycl. 22: n.° 7 (1812)

Ecology: terrestrial herb, growing on moist laterite soil in shade often near stream in ever green as well as semi ever green forest


Pseudobulbs subovoid, 1.3-2.2 × 1-1.5 cm, noded, ± enclosed by white membranous sheaths.

 
Leaves 2 or 3; petiole 2.5-10 cm,  sheathlike, not articulate; blade narrowly elliptic, ovate-oblong, oblong-lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate, 6-17 × 2.5-6 cm, membranous or herbaceous, base contracted into petiole, margin entire, apex acuminate. 

Inflorescence 14-40 cm, conspicuously exceeding leaves; Peduncle quadrangular green laxly several to 10-flowered 


Bracts 4-6X3-5 mm often spreading horizontally, lanceolate. 

Flowers resupinate, greenish yellow or greenish brownish; pedicel and ovary 6-8 mm. 

Sepals unequal spreading, dorsal sepal 7-8 × 1.5 mm linear, inconspicuously 3-veined, margin revolute, apex obtuse; lateral sepals 6-7 × 2.5 mm,  ovate-oblong, slightly oblique, 3(or 4)-veined. 

Petals 6-7 × 0.8 mm nearly narrowly linear, widened toward apex, 1-veined, margin revolute;

Labellum obovate-oblong, 5.5 × 3.5-4.5 mm, with 2 triangular calli near base, apical margin denticulate, apex subtruncate and emarginate; calli ± united at base,0.8 mm tall. Column slightly arcuate, ca. 4.5 mm, with narrow wings on both sides, wings gradually widened toward column apex. 

Capsule 1-2cm, obovoid-oblong or ellipsoid. 
Flowering  June – July                       
Fruiting  October 

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