Liparis Rich.,
Orchid. Europ. Annot. (1817) 21, 30, 38
Sympodial epiphytic or terrestrial plants with very short to rather elongated rhizomes. Pseudobulbs consisting of one to several internodes, 1- to few-leaved. Leaves sheathing or not, glabrous, plicate or not, deciduous or not, duplicate, thin-textured or leathery. Inflorescence terminal (hysteranthous or synanthous), a few- to many-flowered raceme, sometimes with the flowers opening one-by-one (and then with closely spaced laterally flattened bracts arranged in two rows). Flowers small to very small, resupinate. Sepals free, usually narrow and reflexed. Petals free, usually much narrower than the sepals. Lip without spur, not mobile, the apical part usually abruptly bent downwards. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 4, solid, caudicles absent, stipe absent, viscidium absent.
Distribution
Cosmopolitan (absent from New Zealand); about 250 species.
Distribution in the Philippines
Luzon (Ilocos Norte, Abra, Kalinga-Apayao, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Bataan, Pampanga, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, Tayabas, Albay, Sorsogon), Polillo, Catanduanes, Biliran, Mindoro, Busuanga, Palawan, Bancalan, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar, Camiguin, Mindanao (Zamboanga, Lanao, Misamis, Bukidnon, Surigao, Agusan, Davao, Cotabato), Basilan, Sulu; 38 species.
Habitat
Terrestrial or epiphytic in lowland and montane forest.
Notes
Liparis is a large genus of small-flowered orchids, generally with rather uniform 'spidery' flowers with narrow sepals and petals, having the basal part of the lip parallel with the column, while the apical part is at right angles to the basal part. Liparis is not often seen in cultivation, as most species are fairly inconspicuous.