Liparis Rich.

Hermans, J., Verlynde, S., Cribb, P. et al. Malaxideae (Orchidaceae) in Madagascar, the Mascarenes, Seychelles and Comoro Islands. Kew Bull 75, 1 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-019-9851-0

Morphology General Habit

Terrestrial, lithophytic, or epiphytic rhizomatous herbs.

Vegetative Multiplication Pseudobulbs

Stem pseudobulbous, clustered or not, covered with sterile bracts, especially when young.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves one to several, linear to ovate or elliptical, pleated or not, thin-textured to coriaceous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence erect or arching, racemose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers yellow, green, orange or purple, often translucent, usually resupinate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals spreading, dorsal sepal free, lateral sepals sometimes fused for part or all of their length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals free, often linear and unlike sepals, often reflexed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum

Lip often reflexed, ovate, oblong or flabellate, entire or lobed, usually with a basal callus or swelling, lacking a spur.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column

Column incurved-arcuate, clavate, winged towards apex and sometimes at base; anther attached by a slender filament, biloculate, pollinia waxy, ovoid, bilaterally flattened, four in two pairs, each with a small viscidium; rostellum thin-textured, blunt. (Adapted from Cribb in Pridgeon et al.2005: 467).

Note

Preliminary molecular studies by Cameron (2005) indicate that Liparis in the traditional broad sense is polyphyletic. Some clades are well resolved and can be diagnosed morphologically, others less so, requiring further sampling to produce a more robust classification. Several clades are clearly defined, but as sampling, so far, has largely excluded plants from the African and Madagascan region, results concentrate on Asian species. Fortunately, the species of Liparis sect. Distichae (Stichorkis Thouars (1809)) comprise a well-supported clade sister to that including both Oberonia and the Asiatic/Pacific clade. Margonska & Szlachetko (2004) established the superfluous generic name Disticholabris for this group. Liparis cespitosa and its allies: small species with ovoid, one-leaved pseudobulbs and articulate leaves, form a clade that is sister to an Asiatic/Pacific clade of small-flowered lanceolate-leaved species. Liparis cespitosa was actually included in Stichorkis by Du Petit-Thouars (Thouars 1822) as S. cestichis Thouars (alternative name: Malaxis cespitosa; see Rasmussen 1979). The generic name Cestichis Lindl. ex Pfitzer is based on a misunderstanding of Du Petit-Thouars way of presenting his new epithets (Friis & Rasmussen 1975). (Adapted from Cribb & Rasmussen in Pridgeon et al.2005: 470) Garay & Romero-Gonzales (1999) established three more sections in Liparis: Decumbentes, Aphyllae and Tipuloidea. They also provided a key to the 19 accepted sections of Liparis. Margonska et al. (2012), in an Appendix, includes a listing of the subgeneric divisions of Liparis and their types. Hooker (1888) and Seidenfaden (1978) both recognised three sections: (1) Liparis (Mollifoliae), mostly terrestrial with non-jointed, thin membranous leaves; (2) Coriifoliae, usually epiphytes with jointed, often coriaceous leaves and lax inflorescences lacking imbricating bracts; and (3) Distichae Seidenf. ex Aver. with similar habits and leaves but with distichous, imbricate bracts. Schlechter (1911a) proposed a new system with four subgenera and 12 sections. However, he admitted that circumscriptions of some of his subgenera and sections were poorly defined. Furthermore, by ignoring earlier sectional names his treatment led to confusion. Stichorkis is here recognised as distinct, but Leptorkis is considered to refer to species currently placed in Liparis. Liparis Rich. (Richard 1817: 21), has been conserved over Leptorkis but not Stichorkis. Leptorkis is available if Liparis is split up following reassessment of the generic limits within Malaxideae. Kuntze (1891) made the combinations of many species in Leptorchis (an unnecessary orthographic variant of Leptorkis). Liparis, as it has been understood historically, is readily characterised by its slender, arcuate, winged column, linear petals, and more or less entire lip, reflexed in the middle and usually bearing a basal bilobed callus. Ridley (1886b) recognised two sections in the genus, Mollifoliae and Coriifoliae, the former with three, the latter with three or four subsections. The genus has a complex history. Du Petit-Thouars (1809) described Leptorkis and Stichorkis as distinct from Malaxis. He remarked that Leptorkis would include species such as Malaxis loeselii (now Liparis loeselii). Du Petit-Thouars (1822) used the alternative spelling Leptorchis (t.25) and also described the first Liparis from Madagascar as Liparis flavileptis and L. purpuroleptis Thouars, named using Du Petit-Thouars peculiar method of forming plant names (see Friis & Rasmussen 1975; Rasmussen 1979; Stafleu & Cowan 1976). The traditional names Malaxis flavescens and M. purpurascens were presented as alternatives, and later authors have invariably chosen the traditional epithets. From the Greek liparos, shiny or greasy, in allusion to the shiny leaves of the type species Liparis loeselii.

Distribution

Liparis is a large cosmopolitan genus of over 460 (Govaerts WCSP 2017) species, subspecies and varieties with a significant representation in Australasia, subtropical and tropical Americas, Africa and a few species in Europe and North America. 46 species are currently recognised in the Madagascar region of which 36 (c. 80%) are endemic. R鵮ion has 10 species, three of them endemic, Mauritius has four species, the Comoros four species and the Seychelles one. Although some have close relatives further afield, Liparis cespitosa is the only species with a much wider distribution in Africa and Australasia.

Orchidaceae, V. S. Summerhayes. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968

Morphology General Habit

Terrestrial and epiphytic herbs; stems usually ± swollen at the base to form pseudobulbs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves basal or sometimes cauline, either broad, plicate, thin in texture and unjointed at the base, or else small, narrow, firm-textured and jointed at the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences few–many-flowered, terminal, mostly erect; rhachis terete or sometimes flattened or angular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers rather small, usually yellowish green or purplish

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal

Tepals spreading or reflexed, narrow, mostly with entire margins; petals often linear

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Labellum

Lip usually more fleshy than the tepals, simple or bilobed, with entire, dentate or crenulate margins, often bent in the middle, with 2 simple calli at the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column

Column relatively elongated, usually curved over, terete or slightly winged, with or without a small foot; pollinia 4, pyriform, in 2 pairs.