244 ME. H. N. lilDLEY's MONOGEAPH 



4 



A Monograph of the tjrenus Liparis. 



By H. N. EiDL^, M.A., F.L.S. 



[Eead 3rcl June, 1886.] 



Although 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 novr 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 with- 

 out correlation or comparison with other species. The result of 

 this is that the species of many genera are inextricably confused, 



our 



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 Li^paris into a single paper. No list has 

 been published of the genus since the publication of the ' Genera 

 and Species of the Orchidaceous Plants,' by Lindley in 1840, in 

 which thirty-three species are described, Avhile 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 



Mes 



Mo 



my hands specimens of rare and critical species, and Mr. A. Fryer, 

 of Chatteris, for notes and living specimens of our native species. 

 The genus was originally founded by L. C. EicharJ (Mem. 

 Mus. Par. iv. p. 52) for the species Loeselii and liliifolia, formerly 

 included under Malaxis. Later Eeichenbach ('Conspectus,' p. 69) 

 changed 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 natural 

 genus, most nearly related to Microstylis, but distinguished, 



