Liparis, commonly known as widelip orchids or sphinx orchids, is a cosmopolitan genus of more than 350 species in the family Orchidaceae (order Asparagales). The genus has an exceptionally wide distribution, occurring on every continent except Antarctica — with particular diversity in tropical Asia, subtropical and tropical parts of the Americas, Africa, New Guinea, and Australia. China alone hosts 63 species, 20 of which are endemic.
Plants in the genus are terrestrial, lithophytic (rock-dwelling), or epiphytic herbs. They typically bear one to a few leaves that range from linear to egg-shaped, and may be thin or leathery, sometimes with a pleated texture. Flowers are small to medium in size, arranged in a raceme on a flowering stem with small bracts. The blooms are usually resupinate (twisted 180°) and characteristically dull yellow, yellow-green, or purplish, often emitting an unpleasant odour. The sepals and petals turn downwards; the dorsal sepal is free while the lateral sepals are sometimes partially fused. The labellum is typically larger than the other perianth segments, frequently lobed with a toothed or wavy margin and one or two calli (callus ridges) at its base. Pollination is served by two pairs of waxy, oval pollinia, each with a viscidium.
The genus was first formally described in 1817 by the French botanist Louis Claude Richard in Die Orchideis Europaeis Annotationes. The name derives from the Ancient Greek liparos ("oily", "greasy", "sleek", or "shiny"), a reference to the characteristically smooth, glossy leaves.
Etymology
The name Liparis comes from the Ancient Greek liparos, meaning "oily," "greasy," "sleek," or "shiny," alluding to the smooth, lustrous leaves characteristic of plants in this genus. The genus was formally established in 1817 by French botanist Louis Claude Richard in Die Orchideis Europaeis Annotationes.
Distribution
Liparis is one of the most widely distributed orchid genera, present on every continent except Antarctica. It is most diverse in tropical Asia — China alone holds 63 species, 20 endemic — and also occurs throughout subtropical and tropical parts of the Americas, Africa, New Guinea, and Australia. Just two species reach North America and one extends into Europe.
Taxonomy Notes
The genus belongs to the family Orchidaceae, order Asparagales, class Magnoliopsida. It was first formally described in 1817 by Louis Claude Richard. With over 350 accepted species it is one of the larger orchid genera, though circumscription has varied; GBIF's backbone currently places 67 descendants under this node, reflecting ongoing taxonomic revision and the transfer of some species to segregate genera.
