Liparis casseabria

Terrestrial herbs, 8 – 10 cm tall. Subterranean pseudobulb tuberous, ellipsoid, 2.0 – 2.5 cm in diam., noded, enclosed by several white, membranous sheaths basally. Leaves 2, petiole sheath-like, amplexicaul, not articulate toward base, ovate-elliptic, 14 – 16 × 3.5 – 4.5 cm, membranous or herbaceous, base contracted into petiole, margin entire and smooth, apex acuminate. Inflorescence 15 – 20 cm in length, conspicuously exceeding leaves; rachis 20 – 30 - flowered; floral bracts reflexed, lanceolate, 4 – 5 mm. Flowers yellowish green, small; pedicel and ovary 4.5 – 5.0 mm. Dorsal sepal linear-lanceolate, 3.8 – 4.0 × ca. 1.5 mm, margin revolute, apex acute; lateral sepals elliptical, 1.8 – 2.0 × 2.0 – 2.4 mm, margin revolute, apex obtuse. Petals narrowly lanceolate, 1.8 – 2.0 × ca. 0.5 mm, margin strongly revolute, often falcate, apex acute. Lip broadly elliptic or suborbicular, ca. 2.5 mm, conspicuously folded and twisted on both sides near middle, appearing like 2 lateral auricles, with a concave callus near base, margin entire and apex emarginate. Column suberect to somewhat incurved at upper part, ca. 2.5 mm long, ventrally with an apical pair of obtusely triangular wings. Pollinia four, in two pairs, waxy, ovoid; anther-cap elliptic, truncate in front.

Conservation status: — Liparis casseabria was collected in Natma Taung National Park, Chin State, Myanmar. It was only found in the secondary Dipterocarpus tuberculatus forest with an elevation of 600 to 800 meters, where the forests were destroyed by slash-and-burn cultivation, and still seen the fire marks on the surrounding tree trunks. Until now, only two populations, consisting of ca. 100 individuals have been seen. However, the habitat has been protected and forests also gradually tend to stability, and the more and more individuals of Liparis casseabria will emerge in this area. Therefore, we suggest that the current conservation status of this new species to be Data Deficient following the latest IUCN guidelines (IUCN 2019).