KEY TO SPECIES

1	Leaves continuous with sheath, usually membranaceous; plants mainly terrestrial, rarely epiphytic or lithophytic.		(2)
+	Leaves articulated with pseudobulb, coriaceous or nearly so, not plicate; plants mainly epiphytic or lithophytic.		(14)
2 (1)	Leaf solitary.		(3)
+	Leaves 2 or more.		(4)
3 (2)	Leaf elliptic or ovate, 1-2 cm long.		Liparis amabilis
+	Leaf cordate, more than 5 cm long.		Liparis cordifolia
4 (2)	Leaves 2, mostly not plicate, usually with ovoid pseudobulbs at base.		(5)
+	Leaves 2-many, mostly plicate; with long stem or short pseudobulb.		(8)
5 (4)	Rhizome distinct, pseudobulbs on rhizome 3-5 cm apart; leaves subcordate; lip straight, neither bent abruptly downward, nor arching downward.		Liparis auriculata
+	Rhizome absent, pseudobulbs closely aggregated; leaves ovate to oblong or obovate; lip more or less recurved or bent downward abruptly.		(6)
6 (5)	Lip elongate ovate, ciliate, apex caudate, disc with a thick roof-like callus at base.		var. sasakii
+	Lip obovate, not ciliate, apex truncate, disc without callus at base.		(7)
7 (6)	Sepals 10-12 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide; lip nearly entire, 10-12 mm long; column 6 mm long, distinctly arcuate, dilated at base into 2 round mounds.		Liparis japonica
+	Sepals 5-7 mm long, 2 mm wide; lip more or less serrulate at apex, 6-7 mm long; column 3.5 mm long, not distinctly arcuate, broadly dilated at base but without round mounds.		Liparis campylostalix
8 (4)	Stems inconspicuous, pseudobulbs ovoid; leaves linear or linear lanceolate.		Liparis hensoaensis
+	Stems elongate cylindrical, without pseudobulbs; leaves elliptic to lanceolate.		(9)
9 (8)	Apex of lip with 2 fimbriate or pectinate lobules		Liparis wrayii
+	Apex of lip without distinct lobules, entire or denticulate, neither fimbriate nor pectinate.		(10)
10 (9)	Stems more than 2 cm in diam.; lip with 2 calli at base, calli continuous into keels on disc.		Liparis sootenzanensis
+	Stems less than 1.5 cm in diam.; lip without calli and longitudinal keels on disc.		(11)
11 (10)	Flowers dark purple, dorsal sepal more than 1.8 cm long		Liparis nigra
+	Flowers greenish, tinged with purple, never dark purple throughout, dorsal sepal less than 1.6 cm long.		(12)
12 (11)	Lip entire; apex of column with distinct acute wings.		Liparis formosana
+	Lip denticulate or nearly entire; apex of column without distinct wings.		(13)
13 (12)	Dorsal sepal 13-15 mm long; lip green at first, later turning purple.		Liparis henryi
+	Dorsal sepal 8-9 mm long; lip green or tinged with purple.		Liparis nervosa
14 (1)	Leaf solitary.		(15)
+	Leaves 2 or rarely 3.		(17)
15 (14)	Leaves oblanceolate-linear, ca. 1 cm wide; lip without calli at base.		Liparis caespitosa
+	Leaves elongate oblong, 1.5-3 cm wide; lip with a pair of calli at base.		Liparis bootanensis
16	Stems cylindrical, terete, 8-15 cm long.		(17)
+	Stems obscure but with ovoid or compressed pseudobulbs less 6 cm long.		(18)
17 (16)	Plants without rhizome, stems tufted.		Liparis condylobulbon
+	Plants with distinct rhizomes, stems produced at certain intervals.		Liparis viridiflora
18 (16)	Pseudobulbs strongly flattened into an orbicular disk.		Liparis elliptica
+	Pseudobulbs not as above.		(19)
19 (18)	Leaves thick coriaceous, apex rounded; flowers orange.		Liparis grossa
+	Leaves thin coriaceous, apex acute; flowers greenish or pale yellow.		(20)
20 (19)	Pseudobulbs ovoid, not ridged; flowers greenish, dorsal sepal more than 8 mm long		Liparis nakaharai
+	Pseudobulbs clavate, distinctly 3-ridged; flowers pale yellow or nearly white; dorsal sepal less than 4 mm long		Liparis somai