Orchids of New Guinea

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Liparis caespitosa

Liparis caespitosa (Thouars) Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. (1825) sub t. 882

Synonyms:

Malaxis caespitosa Thouars, Hist. Orchid. (1822) t. 89.
- Type: Thouars s.n. (Mauritius) (holo P)
Leptorchis caespitosa (Thouars) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 671
Cestichis caespitosa (Thouars) Ames, Orchidaceae 2 (1908) 132, fig.
Malaxis angustifolia Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 393.
- Type: Blume s.n. (Mt. Salak); (Mt. Gede); (syn L, Blume 202 and 2199 2x, no loc.)
Liparis angustifolia (Blume) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1830) 31
Liparis angustifolia Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 4 (1861) 296 (non (Blume) Lindl.)
- Type: C.P. 2351 (Ceylon, Central Prov., 2000-5000 f.)
Liparis auriculata Rchb.f., Flora 55 (1872) 277 (non Blume ex Miq.)
- Type: Hooker f. & Thomson s.n. (India, Khasia)
Leptorchis minima (Blume) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 671
Liparis comosa Ridl., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 32 (1896) 229
- Type: Curtis s.n. (Perak, Larut Hills, Tea Gardens) (holo SING?)
Liparis duthiei Hook.f., Hooker's Icon. Pl. 19 (1889) t. 1857b; Fl. Brit. Ind. 6 (1890)701
- Type: Duthie s.n. (W. Himalaya, Kumaon, Gori valley 2-3000 ft.)
Liparis pusilla Ridl., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 22 (1886) 294
- Type: Hooker f. & Thomson s.n. (India, Khasia); Beddome s.n. (Anamallays)
Liparis minima (Blume) Lindl. var. neoguineensis Schltr. in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 105
- Type: Schlechter 13934 (holo B, lost)
Liparis neoguineensis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1911) 209
- Type: Schlechter 16803 (syn B, lost; iso L), 18889 (syn B, lost; iso L, 2x), 13934 (syn B, lost), 19559 (syn B, lost), 19786 (syn B, lost)
Leptorchis duthiei (Hook.f.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 671
Liparis obscura Hook.f., Hooker's Icon. Pl. 19 (1889) t. 1886; Fl. Brit. Ind. 5 (1890) 702
- Type: Ceylon
Leptorchis obscura (Hook.f.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 671
Liparis prainii Hook.f., Hooker's Icon. Pl. 19 (1889) t. 1857; Fl. Brit. Ind. 5 (1890) 700
- Type: Prain s.n. (Assam, Naga Hills)
Leptorchis prainii (Hook.f.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 671
Liparis pusilla Ridl., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 22 (1886) 294
- Type: Hooker f. & Thomson s.n. (India, Khasia); Beddome s.n. (Anamallays)
Leptorchis pusilla (Ridl.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 671
Liparis neoguineensis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1911) 209
- Type: Schlechter 16803 (syn B, lost; iso L), 18889 (syn B, lost; iso L, 2x), 13934 (syn B, lost), 19559 (syn B, lost), 19786 (syn B, lost)
Malaxis minima Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 391.
- Type: Blume s.n. (Mt. Salak); (Pantjar); (syn L 2x, Blume s.n., no loc.)
Liparis minima (Blume) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. (1830) 32
Leptorchis minima (Blume) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. (1891) 671

Basionym: Malaxis caespitosa

Epiphytic, erect, small, 3-10 cm high. Rhizome very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous. Pseudobulbs crowded, somewhat laterally compressed, broadly ovate, 1-leaved, 0.7-1 cm high, above the base 0.4-0.7 cm wide. Leaf erect, oblanceolate-ligulate, acute or apiculate, gradually narrowed towards the base, glabrous, 4.5-9 cm long, above the middle 0.35-1 cm wide. Inflorescence erect, ancipitous, without peduncle-scales, glabrous, often shorter than the leaf, rarely somewhat longer; rachis more or less laxly flowered, occasionally rather dense, 5-15-flowered, erect. Floral bracts erect-patent, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, often distinctly surpassing the flowers. Flowers erect-patent, glabrous. Sepals recurved, oblong, obtuse, c. 0.25 cm long. Later sepals oblique. Petals recurved, linear, obtuse, about as long as the sepals. Lip elliptic, 0.25 cm long, in basal half hardly more than 0.13 cm wide, slightly constricted in apical half, at the base inside with a subquadrate callus, at the apex shortly and obtusely apiculate. Column slightly curved, glabrous, c. 0.15 cm long, slightly dilated towards the base. Anther subreniform, obtuse. Ovary with pedicel glabrous, c. 0.3 cm long. Fruit sharply triangular in cross-section, oblongoid, as long as the pedicel, c. 0.4 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914, as Liparis neoguineensis Schltr.)

Colours:

Flowers yellowish green.

Habitat:

Epiphyte in hill and montane forest, rarely terrestrial among rocks; 300 to 2300 m.

Distribution:

Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea, Philippines), Madagascar, Mascarenes, tropical Asia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji.

Distribution New Guinea:

Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map

Cultivation:

Warm to cool growing epiphyte.

Flowering time in the wild:

January, April, May, June, July, August, September, November, December.

References:

Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java (1905) 266
Smith, J.J., Orchid. Java, Fig.-Atl. (1910) fig. 204
Smith, J.J., Nova Guinea 12, 3 (1915) 221
Schlechter, R., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 21 (1923) t. 79, fig. 289, as Liparis neoguineensis Schltr.

Classification:

Family Orchidaceae
Subfamily Epidendroideae
Tribe Malaxideae
Section Hologlossum
Genus Liparis
Species Liparis caespitosa

Notes:

A very common and unusually widespread but quite inconspicuous little orchid.