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*The following is based on text excerpted from: Gann, G.D., K.A. Bradley, & S.W. Woodmansee. 2002. Rare Plants of South Florida: Their History, Conservation, and Restoration. The Institute for Regional Conservation: Miami. For the original text, click on the link above and go to the chapter and page number listed in the Update field below. Cite this page as: Gann, G.D., and S.W. Woodmansee. 2006-2013. Species Account Update, Floristic Inventory of South Florida Database Online. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida. If no Update field is displayed, then cite as the original publication.

Liparis nervosa (Thunb.) Lindl.

Pantropical widelip orchid

South Florida Status: Critically imperiled. One occurrence at Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park.

Taxonomy: Monocotyledon; Orchidaceae.

Habit: Perennial terrestrial herb.

Distribution: Native to peninsular Florida, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Old World. Wunderlin (1998) reports it as rare in Florida in Collier, Hernando, and Hillsborough counties.

South Florida Distribution: Collier County.

South Florida Habitats: Strand swamps.

Protection Status: Listed as endangered by FDACS.

Aids to Identification: Luer (1972) has illustrations and color photos; the IRC Website has a color photo.

References: Small, 1933a; Correll, 1950; Luer, 1972; Long & Lakela, 1976; Godfrey & Wooten, 1979; Wunderlin, 1998; Coile, 2000; Liogier & Martorell, 2000.

Synonyms: L. elata Lindl.


Historical Context: James Layne first discovered pantropical widelip orchid in 1903 (s.n., AMES; Ames, 1904b), in what is now Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. Other collections were made there in 1937 by Walter M. Buswell (s.n., USF) and in 1963 by J.A. Lassiter and Rita Lassiter (16, USF). Numerous botanists, including the authors, have observed this population over the years. Gann and Woodmansee also observed this population in 2000 on a field trip led by Florida Park Service biologist Mike Owen. Owen estimates that there are between 1,000 and 10,000 plants in the Fakahatchee Strand. Pantropical widelip orchid also has been reported for Big Cypress National Preserve based upon a 1956 specimen (Black & Black, 1980), but we have not been able to verify this occurrence. A 1988 collection said to have been from Everglades National Park cannot be verified, and is treated here as a false record.

Major Threats: Exotic pest plant invasions; poaching; hydrological modifications.


Recommendations: • Map and monitor known stations on a regular basis. • Protect from poaching. • Review for listing by FNAI.