Orchids of the genus Liparis are
found across tropical Asia, New Guinea, the islands of the southwest Pacific and
tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. There are currently sixty
five species known to grow in China, of which 22 are considered to be endemic
(i.e. to grow nowhere else). They are herbaceous plants that can be ground
dwelling, rock living or epiphytic (growing on the branches of trees), most
produce persistent rhizomes (roots from
which the plant can completely regrow) and a few are mycotrophic, gaining all
there sustenance from Fungi normally symbiotic with plants without giving
anything back in return.
In a paper published in the journal Phytotaxa on 8 April 2015, a
group of scientists led by Yong-Yu Su of the College of Forestry at South ChinaAgricultural University, the Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Orchid Conservation
and Utilization, The National Orchid Conservation Center of China and The OrchidConservation and Research Center of Shenzhen describe a new species of Liparis from Yunnan Province, China.
The new species is named Liparis wenshanensis,
meaning ‘from Wenshan’; the species was found growing in Wenshan Prefecture,
where a total of six colonies were found on moist, shady slopes in evergreen
broad-leafed forest at an altitude of about 1500 m. The plants were found in
moxed colonies along with the Orchid Bletilla sinensis,
the two species being indistinguishable until flowers were produced.
Liparis wenshanensis produces two blade-like leaves 8-13 cm in length from a small
pseudobulb. Flowers are small and white with green surrounds and purple
centres, they are borne in inflorescences of 45-55 on rachises 45-55 cm in
length.
Liparis wenshanensis. (A) Flowering plant. (B) Flower, side view. (C) Column and lip, longitudinal
section. (D) Flower, front view. (E) Pollinarium. Su et al. (2015).
See also…
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