Liparis transtillata Ridl., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 32 (1896) 225
Type: Ridley s.n. (Mal. Pen., Perak, Maxwell Hills)
Terrestrial, erect, stout, up to 70 cm high. Rhizome very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, puberulous. Stems carnose, cylindrical, at the base initially covered by sheaths, densely 3-5-leaved above the middle, up to 15 cm long, 0.7-1 cm diam. Leaves erect-patent, elliptic, acuminate, at the base gradually narrowed into the short, sheathing petiole, glabrous, plicate; blade 10-25 cm long, near the middle 5-12 cm wide; petiole 3-8 cm long. Inflorescence straight or nearly so, several-winged, glabrous, barren or with sparse minute, bract-like scales; rachis cylindrical, rather densely many-flowered, elongated, up to 30 cm long, 2-2.5 cm diam. across the flowers. Floral bracts narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, pendent, as long as or a little shorter than the pedicel. Flowers erect-patent, glabrous. Median sepal oblong-ligulate, obtuse, 0.5 cm long. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate-oblong, obtuse, 0.4 cm long. Petals obliquely linear, subobtuse, subfalcate, as long as the median sepal. Lip 0.4 cm long, above the middle 0.35 cm wide, at the base quadrate, apical half expanded into a broadly reniform blade, apex retuse, in apical half with crenate-dentate margins, at the base with a very small bidentate callus. Column slightly curved, auricles short, at the base only slightly dilated, slightly more than half as long as the lip. Anther suborbicular, subobtuse. Ovary 6-ribbed, glabrous, including the pedicel c. 0.8 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914)
Colours: Flower brownish purple with a very dark purple lip.
Habitat: Terrestrial in lowland forest, often near small streams; 700 to 1600 m.
Flowering time in the wild: January, March, May, July, September.
Distribution: Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Is., New Guinea).
Distribution in New Guinea: Papua (Indonesia); Papua New Guinea. See map: 416-479M.JPG.
Cultivation: Warm to intermediate growing terrestrial, requires shaded position.