ORCHIDACEAE
Malaxis Sol.ex Sw. Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ.: 119 (1778).
By: Lokesh R. Shakya and Tirtha R. Pandey
Taxon Description
Plants terrestrial. Stem pseudobulbous, fleshy. Leaves 1 or 2, thinly textured to fleshy, petiole sheathing at base. Inflorescences racemose, unbranched, laxly to densely many-flowered, floral bracts persistent, lanceolate. Flowers resupinate, yellowish-green. Sepals free, spreading. Petals often narrower than sepals, free, spreading, lip erect, entire to lobed, spur absent. Column without a foot, pollinia 4, waxy, stigma semicircular or ovate.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide about 300 species, distribution cosmopolitan. Four species in Nepal, one endemic to Nepal.
Key to Species
1a Plants ca. 50 cm tall. Sterile bracts present. Lip rounded-quadrangular… 4. M. tamurensis
b Plants up to 30 cm tall. Sterile bracts absent. Lip ovate or broadly ovate……………………….2
2a Pseudobulbs globose. Lip unlobed …………………………….. 1. M. dolpensis
b Pseudobulbs ovoid or conic. Lip lobed or with basal auricles ……………………. 3
3a Lip triangular ovate, base with 2-auricles, concave ……….. 2. M. monophyllos
b Lip weakly 3-lobed, base without auricles, saccate …………. 3. M. muscifera
1. Malaxis dolpensis M.R.Shrestha, L.R.Shakya & Ghimire, Pleione 1: 6 (2007).
Plants 5.5–7 cm. Pseudobulbs globose, ca. 0.8–1 cm, plant arising from lateral side of pseudobulb. Leaves 2, oblong-lanceolate, 1–2 X ca. 1 cm, subopposite, acute, sessile. Inflorescence racemose, densely 10–14 flowered; peduncle 4–6 cm, sterile bracts absent; rachis 1–1.5 cm, cylindric. Fertile bracts ovate, 2–4 X 1.5 mm. Flowers pale green, ca. 4 mm across; pedicel and ovary 1.5–2 mm. Sepals sub-similar; dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, ca. 1.8 x 0.7 mm, acute. Lateral sepals oblong, ca. 1.8 x 0.5 mm, acute. Petals linear, ca. 1.8 x 0.2 mm, obtuse. Lip ovate, ca. 1.8 x 0.7 mm, unlobed, entire; apex acute; base weakly saccate. Column ca. 0.4 mm, fleshy.
Distribution: Endemic to Nepal.
Altitudinal range: 4000 – 4200 m.
Ecology: On open meadows.
Flowering: July-August.
2. Malaxis monophyllos (L.) Sw., Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Nya Handl. 21: 234 (1800).
Ophrys monophyllos L., Sp. Pl.: 947 (1753).
Plants 5–30 cm. Pseudobulbs ovoid, ca. 4–10 mm, plant arising from apex of pseudobulb, erect, sheathed at the base. Leaves 1 or 2, ovate, elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, 2–9 X 1–4 cm, subopposite, obtuse to subacute, petiolate or subsessile; petiole sheathing at base. Inflorescence erect, raceme, sub-densely to densely many-flowered; peduncle 4–20 cm, ridged, sterile bracts absent; rachis 2–12 cm. Fertile bracts lanceolate, 3–4 X ca. 1.5 mm, acuminate. Flowers pale green, ca. 3 mm across. Pedicel and ovary 2–3 mm. Dorsal sepal lanceolate to broadly oblong-lanceolate, ca. 2.5 X 1–1.4 mm, acuminate; lateral sepals linear-lanceolate, 2-4 X 0.7-1 mm, acute. Petals lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 1–2.5 X ca. 1 mm, acute. Lip triangular ovate, ca. 2 X 3 mm, fleshy, concave; base with 2-auricles. Column ca. 0.5 mm, fleshy.
Distribution: West, Central and East Nepal; China, Philippines, Japan, Europe, North America.
Altitudinal range: 2700 — 4300 m.
Ecology: On moist forest floor.
Flowering: July–August.
3. Malaxis muscifera (Lindl.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 673 (1891).
Dienia muscifera Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 23 (1830).
Plants 12—30 cm. Pseudobulbs conic, sheathed, 1-5 cm, plant arising from apex of pseudobulb, erect, stout, sheathed at base. Leaves 2, ovate-oblong to lanceolate-oblong, 3—9 x 3—6 cm, subopposite, obtuse to subacute, petiolate or subsessile, petiole sheathing at base. Inflorescence racemose, peduncle 8–20 cm, sterile bracts absent; rachis 3-16 cm long. Fertile bracts lanceolate, 1.5–4 X 0.5–1 mm, acute. Flowers uniformly yellowish-green to pale green, ca. 4 mm across; pedicel and ovary twisted, linear, 2–3 mm. Sepals sub-similar, broadly oblong-lanceolate, 1–2.5 X 1–1.4 mm, sub-acute. Petals linear-lanceolate to linear, 1–2.5 X ca. 1 mm, acute. Lip broadly ovate, ca. 2 X 2 mm, weakly 3-lobed, lateral lobes obscure, thickened, incurved; apex apiculate to mucronate, base weakly saccate. Column ca. 0.75 mm, fleshy.
Distribution: West, Central and East Nepal; W. Himalaya, India, Assam-Burma, China.
Altitudinal range: 2000 – 4000 m.
Ecology: On open field.
Flowering: July-August.
4. Malaxis tamurensis Tuyama, Fl. E. Himalaya.: 445 (1966).
Plants ca. 50 cm. Pseudobulb ovoid, sheathed. Leaves two, narrowly lanceolate, ca. 9 X 1.1 cm, sub-acuminate, base contracted, sheathing at base. Inflorescence raceme, densely many flowered; peduncle with subulate sterile bracts. Fertile bracts ca. 8 X 0.7 mm. Flowers deflexed, ca. 8 mm across, pedicel and ovary ca. 6 mm. Sepals slightly bent. Petals oblong or narrowly oblong, ca. 5.5. X 2.7 mm, obtuse. Lip rounded-quadrangular, ca. 5 X 6 mm, irregularly toothed, obtuse. Column not appendiculate.
Distribution: Endemic to Nepal.
Altitudinal range: 1200 m
Ecology:
Flowering: Oct.
The holotype of this species is at TI, which could not be observed; description is based on the protologue.