Malaxis unifolia

Illustrator: Barbara Alongi

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Plants 3–50 cm. Pseudobulbs 5–20 mm diam. Leaves 1(–2, rarely), near middle of stem; blade bright green, glossy, narrowly to broadly ovate, keeled abaxially, 1.6–10 × 0.5–5 cm, apex acute. Inflorescences racemes, appearing umbellate before elongation of rachis, 1–13 cm; floral bracts triangular, 0.16–1.4 mm; pedicels (3.8–)5–10(–13) mm. Flowers 10–160, resupinate, green; dorsal sepal oblong-elliptic, 1.1–1.9(–2.2) × 0.5–1 mm, apex acuminate; lateral sepals oblong-elliptic, 1.1–1.9(–2.2) × 0.5–1 mm, apex acuminate; petals strongly recurved, linear to filiform, slightly falcate, 0.8–1.7(–3) × 0.1–0.2(–0.3) mm; lip rhombic-deltate to cordate-ovate or oblong-elliptic, 1.1–2.3 × 1–2.2 mm, base cordate or auriculate, auricles less than 0.6 times as long as distance from base of lip to apex of middle lobe, apex 3-dentate; column 0.4–0.6 × 0.4–0.6 mm; pollinia yellow. Capsules spreading to slightly drooping, subglobose to ellipsoid, 8 × 4 mm.

Phenology: Flowering spring–fall (south–north).
Habitat: Swamps, bogs, sand barrens, heathlands, and dry woods
Elevation: 0–600 m

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis., Mexico, West Indies, n Central America.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.