Malaxis soulei

L. O. Williams

Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 343. 1934.

Common names: Mountain malaxis
Basionym: Microstylis montana Rothrock Rep. U.S. Geogr. Surv., Wheeler, 264. 1879 Malaxis montana (Rothrock) Kuntze 1891
Synonyms: Achroanthes montana (Rothrock) Greene
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 629. Mentioned on page 627, 630.

Plants 11–60 cm. Pseudobulbs 5–15 mm diam. Leaves 1, at middle or proximal 1/3 of stem, sheathing leaf bases persistent, shredding; blade ovate-elliptic or oblanceolate, keeled abaxially, 2.4–15 × 1–5.2(–6) cm, apex acute. Inflorescences spicate racemes, rachis thick, slightly ridged or fluted, 6–22 cm; floral bracts triangular to lanceolate, 0.5–1 mm; pedicels 1.3–1.7 mm. Flowers 40–160, not resupinate, green to yellowish green; dorsal sepal ovate to elliptic, 1.5–2.8 × 0.8–1.3 mm, apex acuminate; lateral sepals ovate to elliptic, falcate, 1.5–2.8 × 0.8–1.3 mm, apex acuminate; petals strongly reflexed, filiform to linear, falcate, 1.3–2 × 0.2–0.3 mm, apex acuminate; lip suborbiculate-ovate to subquadrangular-ovate, 1.5–2.8 × 1.3–2.2(–2.5) mm, base hastate-auriculate, apex obliquely 3-dentate or retuse with apiculum in sinus; disc deeply concave, 5-veined; column 0.2–0.5 × 0.2–0.5 mm; pollinia yellow. Capsules ascending, ellipsoid, 7 × 3 mm.


Phenology: Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat: Moist, wooded canyons and ravines, rocky open slopes, pine savannas
Elevation: 2000–3000 m

Distribution

V26 1288-distribution-map.jpg

Ariz., N.Mex., Tex., Mexico, Central America.

Discussion

Malaxis soulei grows in the Santa Catalina, Santa Rita, and Chiricahua mountains in Arizona, and in the Davis Mountains in Texas.

The flowers of Malaxis soulei are retained on the axis until the capsules are fully developed, unlike M. corymbosa and some other species where the flowers fall quickly if not fertilized. The apparently sessile flowers are a very distinctive characteristic of this species. The central apiculum of the lip may be obsolete, and the apex thus retuse.

The name Malaxis macrostachya has been applied to M. soulei (C. A. Luer 1975). It is a nomen confusum, however, and it is not clearly applicable to this species (L. O. Williams 1965).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Malaxis soulei"
Paul M. Catling +  and Lawrence K. Magrath +
L. O. Williams +
Microstylis montana +  and Malaxis montana +
Mountain malaxis +
Ariz. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, Mexico +  and Central America. +
2000–3000 m +
Moist, wooded canyons and ravines, rocky open slopes, pine savannas +
Flowering Jul–Sep. +
Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. +
Achroanthes montana +
Malaxis soulei +
species +