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 short-lived flowers that open sporadically. There are about 54 species found from tropical and subtropical Asia to the Western Pacific.
Description Orchids in the genus Luisia are epiphytic or lithophytic, monopodial herbs 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 petals that are longer than the sepals. 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.
Taxonomy and naming The genus Luisia was first formally described in 1829 by Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré 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.
Distribution Orchids in the genus Luisia occur in Bhutan, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Guinea the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia, Micronesia and Melanesia.
Species list The following is a list of species of Luisia accepted by the Plants of the World Online as at October 2025:
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 birchea Blume Luisia brachyota H.H.Fu, Liang Ma & S.P.Chen Luisia brachystachys (Lindl.) Blume, 1849 Luisia cantharis Rolfe, 1895 Luisia celebica Schltr., 1911 Luisia confusa Rchb.f. in W.G.Walpers, 1863 Luisia cordata Fukuy. Luisia cordatilabia Ames & Quisumb. (1933, publ. 1934) Luisia curtisii Seidenf., 1997 Luisia diglipurensis Sanjay Mishra & Jalal Luisia filiformis Hook.f., 1890 Luisia foxworthii Ames, 1908 Luisia hancockii Rolfe, 1896 Luisia hoanii Duy, T.V.Tran & V.H.Quach Luisia inconspicua (Hook.f.) King & Pantl. Luisia jarawana Sanjay Mishra & Jalal 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 Rchb.f., 1869 Luisia magniflora Z.H.Tsi & S.C.Chen, 1994 Luisia megamalaiana Karupp. & V.Ravich. Luisia megasepala Hayata, 1914 Luisia microptera Rchb.f., 1870 Luisia morsei Rolfe, 1903 Luisia occidentalis Lindl. 1853 Luisia parviflora Aver. 2015 Luisia platyglossa Rchb.f. Luisia primulina C.S.P.Parish & Rchb.f., 1874 Luisia psyche Rchb.f., 1863 Luisia ramosii Ames, 1911 Luisia recurva Seidenf., 1971 Luisia secunda Seidenf., 1971 Luisia simaoensis D.P.Ye & H.Jiang Luisia sonii (Aver.) Kumar & S.W.Gale Luisia taurina J.J.Sm., 1910 Luisia teres (Thunb.) Blume Luisia teretifolia Gaudich. Luisia thailandica Seidenf., 1971 Luisia trichorhiza (Hook.) Blume, 1849 Luisia tristis (G.Forst.) Hook.f., 1890 Luisia unguiculata J.J.Sm., 1926 Luisia verrucosa Kurzweil, Nob.Tanaka & Ormerod Luisia volucris Lindl., 1853 Luisia yunnanensis Jie Huang & D.H.Peng 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) x Pomatisia (Luisia x Pomatocalpa) x Scottara (Aerides x Arachnis x Luisia) x Trautara (Doritis x Luisia x Phalaenopsis)
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