Liparis gibbsiae J.J.Sm. in L.S.Gibbs, Phytogeogr. Fl. Arfak Mts. (1917) 112
Type: Gibbs 5682 (syn BM; iso BO); 5897 (syn BM; iso BO)
Rhizome creeping, rooting, terete, covered with large, to 3.25 cm long sheaths. Pseudobulbs 2.5 cm apart, making a narrowly acute angle with the rhizome, when dried thin, terete, 2.5 cm long, 1-leaved, at the base covered with a few large, acutely acuminate, to 4 cm long sheaths. Leaf not articulated, erect, lanceolate, acuminate, acute, at the base gradually narrowed into the petiole, with the 5 main nerves prominent below, when dried membranous, 9.75-10.5 by 2.1-2.25 cm; petiole finely channelled, veined, 2.5-4 cm long. Inflorescence terminal on mature pseudobulbs, shorter than the leaf, rather many-flowered; peduncle 4.5 cm long, at the base with a small, narrow, acute, 2.75 cm long scale; rachis zigzag, 6 cm long. Floral bracts appressed, lanceolate-triangular, sharply acute, concave, 1-nerved, to 0.55 cm long. Flowers c. 16, turned to all sides, patent. Sepals widely patent, convex. Median sepal oblong, apically narrowed, obtuse, 3-nerved, with the mid-rib outside prominent near the apex, 0.65 by 0.25 cm. Lateral sepals divergent, obliquely oblong, slightly falcate, obtuse, slightly apiculate, 3-nerved, mid-rib prominent outside, 0.67 by 0.3 cm. Petals reflexed, linear, obtuse, at the base slightly obliquely dilated, slightly convex, 1-nerved, 0.57 cm long, in the middle 0.06 cm wide. Lip porrect, making an acute angle with the column, at the base adnate to the column, on either side of the broad longitudinal groove longitudinally convex, underneath convex, at the base contracted and quadrangular, gradually dilated, when flattened 0.67 cm long, in front 0.45 cm wide, with the contracted part 0.2 by 0.28 cm, 2-lobed, obcordate, the lobes well separated, obtuse coarsely crenate with a short obtuse lobule in the sinus, finely ciliate except for the contracted base, 3-nerved, outer nerves branched, at the base with a large callus that is provided with two erect, parallel, falcate-triangular, somewhat acute frontal teeth that on either side in front terminate in a small rib. Column in the apical part strongly hooked-incurved, dorsally convex, at the base strongly dilated, in the middle adnate to the lip, much broader than the ovary, 0.32 cm long, at the base 0.17 cm wide; clinandrium concave, inside near the base of the rostellum with an acute tooth, wings subquadrangular; stigma rounded-obtriangular, with raised margins. Anther cucullate, transversely quadrangular-elliptic, apex truncate, at the base emarginate, bidentate. Ovary 6-grooved, including the pedicel 0.4 cm long, curved. (After Smith, 1917)
Colours: Flowers green, lip brown or creamy brown.
Habitat: Terrestrial in montane forest; 2100 m.
Flowering time in the wild: December.
Distribution: Malesia (New Guinea, endemic).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia). See map: 416-187M.JPG.
Cultivation: Cool growing terrestrial.