The flowers are usually resupinate and small to medium sized, yellow, yellow-green or purplish with spreading sepals and petals.

The labellum is usually larger than the sepals and petals and is lobed, sometimes with a toothed or wavy margin and one or two calli at its base.

Orchids in the genus Liparis are terrestrial, lithophytic or epiphytic herbs, usually with one to a few leaves which may be linear to egg-shaped, thin or leathery and sometimes pleated.

[4][5][6] The genus Liparis was first formally described in 1817 by Louis Claude Richard and the description was published in Die Orchideis Europaeis Annotationes.

[7][8] The name Liparis is from the Ancient Greek word liparos meaning "oily", "greasy", "sleek" or "shiny",[9] referring to the smooth leaves.