A Monograph of the Genus Liparis

245% MR. H. N. EIDLEY’S MONOQEAPB A Monograph of‘the Genus Liparis. By H. N. RIDLEY,M.A., F.L.S. [Read 3rd June, 1886.1 ALTHOUQH the literature treating of Orchids is very extensive, and is still very largely on the increase, the number of Mono- graphs of genera is remarkably small, and, indeed, it seems that there is no Order of equal size and importance now so meagrely provided ‘for in this respect. Species innumerable have been described as they were discovered or introduced into cultivation, often several species of different genera together, and that without correlation or comparison with other species. The result of this is that the species of many genera are inextricably confused, and it, is by no means easy, even with a great deal of labour, to collate all the described species of any large genus. It not un- frequently happens also that plants are introduced, perhaps almost accidentally, into cultivation, and shortly after dying out are entirely lost, no specimens having been preserved, and only a description, often, especially among the older writers, of an in- sufficient character, by which the species can be identified. I have therefore thought it may be useful to those interested in this group of plants to collect what information I could glean concerning the genus Liparis into a single paper. No list has been published of the genus since the publication of the ‘ Cfenera and Species of the Orchidaceous Plants,’ by Lindley in 1840, in which thirty-three species are described, while the number of species at present known is above 100. The collections to which I have had access are those of the British Museum, of Kew, including the Lindley herbarium, and the Wallichian herbarium of the Linnean Society ; and I have here to thank Messrs. Fran- chet, H. Bolus, F. Moore, and Baron von Mueller, for placing in my hauds specimens of rare and critical species, and Mr. A. Fryer, of Chatteris, for notes and living specimens of our native species. The genus was origiiially founded by L. C. Richard (Mkm. Mus. Par. iv. p. 52) for the species Loeselii and liliifolia, former11 included under .Malaxis. Later Reichenbach (‘Con~pectu~,’p. 69) chauged the name to Sturmia, on the ground that the name Liparis was already in use for a genus of Moths. This objection is no longer considered valid, and the older name is commonly retained. Liparis, as it stands by itself, is a perfectly nature1 genus, most nearly related to Microstylis, but distinguished, OF TEB GENUS LIPAEIS. 245 usually easily, therefrom by its longer and more slender column not embraced by the lip. To it the authors of the Genera Plantarum ’ have added Ephippianthus. This seems, however, to be distinct both in the habit and form of the lip. It is a mono- typic genus found in the island of Sachalin, and is referred to the neighbourhood of Malaxis by Prof. Reichenbach. Gustro- glottis, Blume, Bijdr. p. 397, is an unknown plant which, as the authors of the ‘ Genera Plantarum ’ suggest, may be a species of this genus. Platystylis was made by Blume &R a section of Xalaxis, and included two species, P. decurrens and P. atro- purpurea. Lindley raised the section to the rank of a genus, but Bentham andHooker (Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 496) refer it to Li- paris on the strength of a plant collqcted by Lobb in Java, which has been identified by Prof. Reichenbach as P. atropwpurea. I have not seen the type of this species ; but the description, so far as it goes, tallies very fairly with Lobb’s plant, which is certainly a Lipnris, and a very different plant from the P. decwrrens, and of which there is a specimen in the herbarium of the Natural- History Museum labelled by Blume Apatales purpurascens, a, name I cannot find published anywhere. P. decurrens is a very peculiar plant, differing from all other species of the genus in possessing a short thick column with four wings, two on each side. A specimen in the above-mentioned herbarium, exactly similar to Blume’s figure (Bijdr. t. 54) is labelied by Blume hiinaelf Platystylis alata, a name which is, as far as I can find out, un- published. This plant, standing alone, would certainly con- stitute a distinct genus, but L. aurita, Ridl., and L. resupi- nccta, mihi, form connecting links between the two genera. The former of these two species possesses the rudiments of the second pair of column-wings in the form of two small ears, one on either side of the column, in addition to the ordinary wings. The flowere, too, in both are resupinate, one of the chief cha- racters in the genus Platystylis. I therefore think it will be preferable to regard the genus as a section only of Liparis. The species of this genus are usually emall plants with incon- spicuous flowers, occurring terrestrially in damp spots in bogs or woods, or among rocks, or epiphytically upon trees. The truly epiphytic species belong to the section C~I~IIP~LL~E,with distinct stout pseudobulbs and thick or leathery leaves. These are confined to the tropics of the Old World. Many of‘the soft-leaved species, especially those with creeping stems, grow upon moss or rotten UNH. J0URN.-BOTANY, VOL. XXII. X 246 ME. H. N. EIDLEY'S MONOGRAPE tree-trunks in the damp forests. It is commonly stated that our native species, L.Loeselii, Rich., is epiphytic upon Xphagnzcm ; but Mr. A. Fryer, who has had opportunities of observing the plant in the fens of Cambridgeshire, and who has kindly supplied me with living plants, informs me that he has found it sometimes, though rarely, growing directly upon clay. He suggests, in this case, that the moss may have decayed away, and thet the plant manages to do without it. This may be the case, but it is not very difficult to grow the plant in ordinary soil or leaf-mould, provided it be rich enough for it ; and it cannot be said to be more epiphytic upon the moss than Droseras or Pingzciculas, which are so often seen in similar situations. Distribution.-The Liparides are one of the most widely-spread genera of the Order, only being eclipsed by the much larger ubiquitous genus Habenaria. Probably it owes much of this extensive distribution to its being equally adapted for temperate and tropical regions. It occurs in all portions of the globe, with the exception of the extreme north and south, and of Arabia, Persia, and New Zealand. L. Loeselii, Rich., is at the same time the most northern species and the most widely distributed, occurring in North America as far north as Canada, and in Europe to Sweden; while the most southern species is probably L. resera, R. Br., from Australia. L. angustifolia, Lindl., is perhaps the most widely distributed of the tropical species, being found in Madagascar, Ceylon, and Malaya. As a rule, however, as is the case with most Orchids, the species are very local. "he largest number of species occurs in tropical Asia, which include8 nearly all the section COEIIFOLIB, besides a considerable number of Mollifoliae. T?Le Stem.--In most species of' the genus the rhizome is very short, the pseudobulbs being thrown up close together". In many of the epiphytic species the old pseudobulbs remain for some time after they have become effete, as in L. luteola, Lindl., where they are closely set on the rhizome, the terminal one only being floriferous and foliiferous. In L. Loeselii, aud species of similar habit, as a rule but two pseudobulbs are met with together, one of the present, the other of the previous year. In many species it is even unusual to find the pseudobulb of the previous year remaining, and the rhizome also has almost entirely die- appeared. In L. nepalensis, Lindl., the rhizome is extensively * See PBtmr, Grundzuge vergl. Morphol. Oreh. pp. 149-152; Odpin, Notes Bur plantes rarea Belgiques, faso. v. p. 103. OF THE GENUS LIPARIB. 247 developed, stout, woody, and persistent, the pseudobulbs being often as much m 2 inches apart. In L. repem the rhizome creeps for a considerable distance; it is not woody, but slender and herbaceous, throwing up numerous small pseudobulbe, each of which bears a single leaf, from the axils of some of which flower- spikes spring. From this form of rhizome we pass easily into the creeping section of the genus (Rarnosre). These are South- American plants, growing on damp moss or on wet trunks of trees. The stem is covered with small petiolate leaves, without any trace of a pseudobulb ;towards the extremity of the creeping stem one or more scapes are thrown up singly from the axils of the leaves. The most striking species of this section is L. brachp stalix, Reichb. f. L. Welwitschii, Reichb. f., is another quite aberrant species, its habit closely resembling that of Goodyera, having a creeping stem sending up tufts of leaves, which are sometimes barren, and sometimes bear erect scapes. The pseudobulb is naturally best developed in the epiphytic species, and is sometimes of considerable size. It is, however, somewhat variable even in the same species; thus in typical L. spathulata it is conical, about 2 inches in length ; but I have seen plants, differing iu no other respect from the typical plant, with short, almost oval pseudobulbs, and again in the true L. longipes, Lindl., of which L. spnthulata is but a variety, the pseudobulb is drawn out sometimes to a length of nearly 6 inches.

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