Tas. 8797. 
LIPARIS mMacrantua. 
Formosa, 
ORCHIDACEAE. Tribe EpmIpENDREAE. 
Lipants, Rich.; Benth, et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 495. 
Liparis macrantha, Rolfe in Ann. Bot. vol. ix. p. 156; in Journ. Linn. 
Soc, Bot. vol. xxxvi. p. 7; et in Orch. Rev. 1916, p. 79; species a caeteris 
hujus generis ob flores maximos atropurpureos facillime distinguenda. 
Herba terrestris. Caules erecti, crassiusculi, 10-15 em. alti. Folia petiolata, 
patentia vel recurva, ovato-elliptica vel late elliptica, subacuta vel breviter 
acuminata, margine undulata, plicata, membranacea, 10-16 cm. longa, 
5-7 em. lata; petiolus 3-4 cm. longus, basi dilatatus, tubuloso-vaginatus. 
Scapus erectus, 20-30 cm. altus; racemus 15-20 em. longus, laxe multi- 
florus; bracteae patentes vel recurvae, triangulares, acutae, 0°5-0°8 cm. 
longae, pedicelli patentes, 1-5-2 cm. longi, purpurei. Flores pro genere 
maximi, atropurpurei. Sepala patentia, lineari-lanceolata, 1°5-2 em. 
longa, apice acuminata, recurva vel revoluta. Petala elongato-linearia, 
acuta, 1°5-2cm. longa. Labellum breviter unguiculatum, recurvum, 
obcordato-orbiculare, emarginatum, 1°5-1°8 cm. latum, margine fimbriato- 
dentatum, basi tuberculatum ; discus longitudinaliter concavo-canaliculatus. 
Columna subgracilis, incurva, 5-6 mm. longa, Pollinia 2, obovato- 
elliptica.—R. A. Roure. 
The striking Orchid here figured is one of the largest 
flowered members of the genus Liparis. It is a native 
of the island of Formosa where it was first discovered, 
over twenty years ago, on Liko Hill, near Tamsui, by 
Mr. H. B. Morse, of the Chinese Consular Service. The 
upper portion of the raceme of Mr. Morse’s original 
specimen, which was communicated to Kew by Professor 
A. Henry, had been lost; a single flower, however, 
remained attached to the base of the inflorescence, and 
thus admitted of the preparation of a description of the 
species, as L. macrantha. The plant was met with again 
by Mr. H. J. Elwes in the low country near Taikow in 
Formosa, and a living specimen brought by him to 
England flowered for the first time in his collection at 
Colesborne, Cheltenham, in February, 1916. From this 
plant, which was then presented to Kew by Mr. Elwes, 
Aprit-JuNE, 1919, 
