Orchids of New Guinea

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Next Species: Liparis gibbsiae

Liparis gibbosa

Liparis gibbosa Finet, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 55 (1908) 842

Type: Blume (Kuhl & van Hasselt) 2214 (Java) (holo P; iso L, probable)

Synonyms:

Disticholiparis gibbosa (Finet) Marg. & Szlach., Orchidee 55 (2004) 178
Stichorkis gibbosa (Finet) Cootes, Philippine Native Orchid Species: 247 (2011) (isonym)
Liparis gregaria Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1830) 33 (nom illeg.)
Disticholiparis gregaria (Lindl.) Marg. & Szlach., Orchidee 55 (2004) 178

Rhizome 0.15 cm diam., creeping, terete. Pseudobulbs 1.5-2.5 cm apart, 1-leaved, obliquely ovoid, strongly compressed, 1.2 by 0.95 cm. Leaf sheaths 1.4 cm long, conduplicate. Leaves erect, linear, 20 by 0.8 cm, coriaceous, keeled below, apex apiculate. Inflorescence erect, to 18 cm long; peduncle 14 cm long, 0.15 cm diam., laterally compressed, ancipitous; rachis laterally compressed, somewhat nodding, densely many-flowered, with the flowers opening in succession. Floral bracts oblong, sharply conduplicate, 0.55 cm long, apex acute, keeled. Pedicel and ovary 1.1 cm long. Median sepal oblong, 0.6 by 0.25 cm, somewhat convex, apex subacute. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate, 0.6 by 0.35 cm, slightly keeled outside. Petals erect, lanceolate, subspathulate, 0.55 by 0.15 cm. Lip 4-lobed, 0.35 by 0.35 cm, the lobes strongly convex, the two apical lobes smaller than the basal ones, with a small, triangular, recurved tooth in between, at the base with two convex calli. Column dorsally compressed, ovate-deltoid, with a dorsal longitudinal rib, 0.3 cm long, 0.27 cm wide, in front on each side of the stigma with two small, parallel, vertical, triangular lamellae, stigma 4-angled with raised lower margin. Anther suborbicular. Pollinia triangular. (After Smith, 1905, as Liparis disticha auct. non Lindl.)

Colours:

Flowers brown or reddish, lip red-brown.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in lower montane forest; 1300 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, New Guinea), Thailand, Laos, Sri Lanka, Burma, Solomon Is., Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa.

Distribution New Guinea:

Indonesia, Papua Barat Prov. See map

Cultivation:

Intermediate growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

March.

References:

Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java (1905) 281, as Liparis disticha (Thouars) Lindl.
Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java, Fig.-Atl. (1910) fig. 216
Smith, J.J., Bull. Dép. Agric. Indes Néerl. 43 (1910) 37

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Malaxideae
Section Distichae
Genus Liparis
Species Liparis gibbosa

Notes:

There are in New Guinea numerous very closely related species that seem to form a very difficult complex. The occurence of the 'real' Liparis gibbosa requires confirmation.