General:
Perennial herb from bulblike bases (corms) to 1 cm across, with a few fibrous roots; stems 10-30 cm tall, leafless, smooth, pale green.
Leaves:
Two, sometimes 3, almost opposite, oblong-elliptic, 2-10 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, yellow-green, the sheathing stalk 2-3 cm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a densely-flowered, terminal spikelike raceme, the flowers small, yellowish, the flower stalks twisted, to 4.5 mm long; bracts about 2 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, lanceolate; sepals 1-2.5 mm long, the middle sepal narrowly egg-shaped, the lateral 2 lanceolate, somewhat curved behind the lip; petals 1-2 mm long, linear, bent back, pointed at tips; lip erect, 2.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, triangular, the base heart-shaped, the tip beaked; column less than 1 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules, ellipsoid, to 5 mm long, 3 mm wide.
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Malaxis monophyllos var. diphyllos (Cham.) Luer