Malaxis spicata Sw.

Florida adder's-mouth orchid (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Malaxis

Characteristics

Plants (7–)10–29(–45) cm. Pseudobulbs 5–20 mm diam. Leaves 2–3, within proximal 1/3 of stem; blade ovate, suborbiculate, or elliptic, 2.2–9(–10) × 1.4–5 (–5.5) cm. Inflorescences racemes, 1.6–13(–24) cm; floral bracts triangular, 1–3 mm; pedicels 5–10 mm. Flowers 6–150, not resupinate, green with lip also green or pale yellow, brown, orange, or vermillion; dorsal sepal reflexed, ovate, 3–3.5 × 1.5–2 mm, apex acuminate; lateral sepals reflexed, elliptic or lanceolate, 2.5–3 × 1–1.5 mm, apex acuminate; petals strongly reflexed, linear, crossing behind flower, 1.5–2.5 × 0.2–0.3 mm, apex rounded; lip ovate, 2.5–2.9(–4) × 2–3.3 mm, base prominently cordate-auriculate, nearly surrounding column, apex unlobed, acute; column 0.6–1 × 0.6–1 mm; pollinia yellow. Capsules erect, ovoid, 8 × 4 mm.
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Scape 1.5–3 dm; lvs 2, broadly oval, 3–10 cm, usually over half as wide; pedicels evident, slender, 4–8 mm; lip uppermost in fl, broadly cordate, pointed at the tip, with conspicuous basal auricles extending below the column and nearly meeting around it, 4 mm, including the auricles, orange toward the center, paler toward the margins. Damp calcareous soil; se. Va. to Fla. and W.I. July–Aug.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
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Mature height (meter) 0.1 - 0.29
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Environment

Light -
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Hardiness (USDA) 6-12

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
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Distribution

Malaxis spicata world distribution map, present in Bahamas, Cuba, Dominica, Georgia, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:642506-1
WFO ID wfo-0000234234
COL ID 7354P
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Malaxis spicata f. morganiae Malaxis spicata f. variagata Malaxis confusa Malaxis integra Microstylis spicata Achroanthes floridana Malaxis spicata Microstylis confusa Microstylis integra Malaxis spicata f. trifoliata Malaxis brittonii Malaxis floridana Microstylis floridana