''Luisia'', commonly known as velvet orchids or 钗子股属 (chai zi gu shu), is a genus of

epiphytic An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

lithophytic Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are also ...

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

s in

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus have flattened roots, long leafy stems, narrow, thick, leathery leaves and short-lived flowers that open sporadically. There are about forty species found from

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

and

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

to the Western Pacific.

Description

Orchids in the genus ''Luisia'' are epiphytic or lithophytic,

monopodial Vascular plants with monopodial growth habits grow upward from a single point. They add leaves to the apex each year and the stem grows longer accordingly. The word ''Monopodial'' is derived from Greek language, Greek '', ''one'' and '', "foot", in ...

herbs Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnish (food), garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typi ...

with long, fibrous stems and thick, more or less flattened roots. A large number of cylinder-shaped, narrow leathery leaves are arranged along the stems. Up to ten resupinate, usually small, fleshy flowers are arranged on a short, thickened flowering stem and open sporadically. Each flower has a short, curved stalk and

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s that are longer than the

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s. The labellum is large and fleshy with an upper epichile separated by a groove from the lower concave hypochile. The labellum has a rigid connection to the

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

Taxonomy and naming

The genus ''Luisia'' was first formally described in 1829 by

Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré (September 4, 1789 – January 16, 1854) was a French botanist. Biography Gaudichaud was born in Angoulême, to J-J. Gaudichaud and Rose (Mallat) Gaudichaud. He studied pharmacology informally at Cognac and Angoulême, ...

and the description was published in ''Voyage autour du monde fait par ordre du Roi sur les corvettes de S. M. l'Uranie et la Physicienne''. The name ''Luisia'' honours Don Luis de Torres who assisted the French expedition at

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

Distribution

Orchids in the genus ''Luisia'' occur in

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of approximately 2,000 small islands in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: Maritime Southeast Asia to the west, Poly ...

and

Melanesia Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from New Guinea in the west to the Fiji Islands in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea. The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Vanu ...

Species list

The following is a list of species of ''Luisia'' accepted by the

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (usually abbreviated to WCSP) was an "international collaborative programme that provides the latest peer reviewed and published opinions on the accepted scientific names and synonyms of selected p ...

as at December 2018: * '' Luisia abrahami'' Vatsala in A.Abraham & P.Vatsala, 1981 * '' Luisia amesiana'' Rolfe, 1893 * '' Luisia antennifera'' Blume, 1849 * '' Luisia appressifolia'' Aver., 2000 * '' Luisia balakrishnanii'' S.Misra 2010 * '' Luisia brachystachys'' (Lindl.) Blume, 1849 * '' Luisia cantharis'' Rolfe, 1895 * '' Luisia celebica'' Schltr., 1911 * ''

Luisia confusa ''Luisia'', commonly known as velvet orchids or 钗子股属 (chai zi gu shu), is a genus of epiphytic or lithophytic orchids in family Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus have flattened roots, long leafy stems, narrow, thick, leathery leaves and s ...

'' Rchb.f. in W.G.Walpers, 1863 * '' Luisia cordatilabia'' Ames & Quisumb. (1933, publ. 1934) * '' Luisia curtisii'' Seidenf., 1997 * '' Luisia filiformis'' Hook.f., 1890 * ''

Luisia foxworthii ''Luisia'', commonly known as velvet orchids or 钗子股属 (chai zi gu shu), is a genus of epiphytic or lithophytic orchids in family Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus have flattened roots, long leafy stems, narrow, thick, leathery leaves and ...

'' Ames, 1908 * '' Luisia hancockii'' Rolfe, 1896 * '' Luisia javanica'' J.J.Sm., 1914 * '' Luisia jonesii'' J.J.Sm., 1914 * '' Luisia longispica'' Z.H.Tsi & S.C.Chen, 1994 * '' Luisia lui'' T.C.Hsu & S.W.Chung 2010 * '' Luisia macrantha'' Blatt. & McCann, 1932 * ''

Luisia macrotis ''Luisia'', commonly known as velvet orchids or 钗子股属 (chai zi gu shu), is a genus of epiphytic or lithophytic orchids in family Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus have flattened roots, long leafy stems, narrow, thick, leathery leaves and s ...

'' Rchb.f., 1869 * '' Luisia magniflora'' Z.H.Tsi & S.C.Chen, 1994 * '' Luisia megasepala'' Hayata, 1914 * ''

Luisia microptera ''Luisia'', commonly known as velvet orchids or 钗子股属 (chai zi gu shu), is a genus of epiphytic or lithophytic orchids in family Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus have flattened roots, long leafy stems, narrow, thick, leathery leaves and s ...

'' Rchb.f., 1870 * '' Luisia morsei'' Rolfe, 1903 * ''

Luisia occidentalis ''Luisia'', commonly known as velvet orchids or 钗子股属 (chai zi gu shu), is a genus of epiphytic or lithophytic orchids in family Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus have flattened roots, long leafy stems, narrow, thick, leathery leaves and s ...

'' Lindl. 1853 * '' Luisia parviflora'' Aver. 2015 * '' Luisia primulina'' C.S.P.Parish & Rchb.f., 1874 * ''

Luisia psyche ''Luisia'', commonly known as velvet orchids or 钗子股属 (chai zi gu shu), is a genus of epiphytic or lithophytic orchids in family Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus have flattened roots, long leafy stems, narrow, thick, leathery leaves and s ...

'' Rchb.f., 1863 * '' Luisia ramosii'' Ames, 1911 * '' Luisia recurva'' Seidenf., 1971 * '' Luisia secunda'' Seidenf., 1971 * '' Luisia taurina'' J.J.Sm., 1910 * '' Luisia tenuifolia'' Blume, 1849 * '' Luisia teres'' (Thunb.) Blume, 1849 * '' Luisia thailandica'' Seidenf., 1971 * '' Luisia trichorhiza'' (Hook.) Blume, 1849 * '' Luisia tristis'' (G.Forst.) Hook.f., 1890 * '' Luisia unguiculata'' J.J.Sm., 1926 * ''

Luisia volucris ''Luisia'', commonly known as velvet orchids or 钗子股属 (chai zi gu shu), is a genus of epiphytic or lithophytic orchids in family Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus have flattened roots, long leafy stems, narrow, thick, leathery leaves and s ...

'' Lindl., 1853 * '' Luisia zeylanica'' Lindl. 1853 * '' Luisia zollingeri'' Rchb.f. in W.G.Walpers, 1863

Intergeneric hybrids

*x ''Aeridisia'' (''Aerides'' x ''Luisia'') *x ''Aeridovanisia '' (''Aerides'' x ''Luisia'' x ''Vanda'') *x ''Ascogastisia'' (''Ascocentrum'' x ''Gastrochilus'' x ''Luisia'') *x ''Debruyneara '' (''Ascocentrum'' x ''Luisia'' x ''Vanda'') *x ''Dominyara '' (''Ascocentrum'' x ''Luisia'' x ''Neofinetia'' x ''Rhynchostylis'' ) *x ''Gastisia '' (''Gastrochilus'' x ''Luisia'') *x ''Gastisocalpa '' (''Gastrochilus'' x ''Luisia'' x ''Pomatocalpa'') *x ''Goffara '' (''Luisia'' x ''Rhynchostylis '' x ''Vanda'') *x ''Luascotia'' (''Ascocentrum'' x ''Luisia'' x ''Neofinetia'') *x ''Luicentrum'' (''Ascocentrum'' x ''Luisia'') *x ''Luichilus'' (''Luisia'' x ''Sarcochilus'') *x ''Luinetia '' (''Luisia'' x ''Neofinetia'') *x ''Luinopsis '' (''Luisia'' x ''Phalaenopsis'') *x ''Luisanda '' (''Luisia'' x ''Vanda'') *x ''Luistylis '' (''Luisia'' x ''Rhynchostylis'' ) *x ''Luivanetia'' (''Luisia'' x ''Neofinetia'' x ''Vanda'') *x ''Pageara '' (''Ascocentrum'' x ''Luisia'' x ''Rhynchostylis'' x ''Vanda'') *x ''Papilisia'' (''Papilionanthe'' x ''Luisia'') One species of ''Papilionanthe'' was re-classified as a hybrid with this genus (''

× Papilisia taiwaniana The multiplication sign (), also known as the times sign or the dimension sign, is a mathematical symbol used to denote the operation of multiplication, which results in a product. The symbol is also used in botany, in botanical hybrid name ...

'') *x ''Pomatisia '' (''Luisia'' x ''Pomatocalpa'') *x ''Scottara'' (''Aerides'' x ''Arachnis'' x ''Luisia'') *x ''Trautara '' (''Doritis'' x ''Luisia'' x ''Phalaenopsis'')

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2456301 Vandeae genera Epiphytic orchids