Liparis hirtzii Dodson 1989 SECTION Ramosae Ridl.

Photo by © Alexander Hirtz

TYPE Drawing

TYPE Drawing by © Dodson/Lindberg

Full shade Cold Fall EARLY Winter

Common Name Hirtz's Liparis [German Engineer and Orchid Enthusiast in Ecuador current]

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in Bolivar province of Ecuador as a scrambling vine on the trunks of very large trees in upper montane, cloud forests at elevations around 2600 meters as a medium sized, cold growing semi-epiphyte with a vine-like stem creeping on the base of the tree glabrous, enveloped by inflated sheaths giving rise to 1 to 2, arising every 3 to 4 nodes, ovate, obtuse, sub-truncately narrowing below into the conduplicate, petiolate base leaves that bloooms in the fall through early winter on a axillary, to 4" [10 cm] long, successively few, 7 to 9 flowered inflorescence with narrowly ovate, just shorter to as long a the ovary floral bracts and carrying white flowers with a white lip with purple-red veins.

"Recognized by the leaves arising single or occasionally in pairs from the rhizome, the rectangular to squarish lip and the long, slender gynostemmium." Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Icon. Pl. Trop., ser. 2, 6: t. 511 Dodson 1989 drawing fide;

Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 3 Dodson 2002 photo fide;

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol IV:96 Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023 drawing fide

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