Malaxis paludosa (L.) Sw.
bog adder's-mouth orchid
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
bog adder's-mouth orchid
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a bulblike bases (corms), with a few fibrous roots, the old corms often persisting, new corms forming in axils of leaves; stems 5-20 cm tall, leafless, slender, smooth, angled above.
Leaves:
Two to 5 in a basal cluster, elliptic or egg-shaped, 1-3 cm long, pale green, the base broadly sheathing.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a several- to many-flowered, terminal, spikelike raceme, the flowers small, yellowish-green; sepals 2-2.5 mm long, narrowly egg-shaped, the middle one drooping, the lateral 2 erect; petals 1-1.5 mm long, oblanceolate; lip erect, 1-2 mm long, egg-shaped, green-veined; column about 0.3 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules, egg-shaped, 4-6 mm long.
Illustration
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
Habitat and Range
Bogs and muskegs in the lowland and montane zones; rare in WC BC, near the coast and in C BC; circumpolar, N to AK and NT, E to ON and S to MN; Eurasia.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Hammarbya paludosa (L.) Kuntze