Malaxis latifolia Sm. 1812 SECTION Gastroglottis Photo by © Lourens Grobler .

Plant Photo courtesy of Donald Tan and his Website.

To LATE To EARLY

Common Name or Meaning The Broad-Leaf Malaxis

Flower Size 1/4" [.6 cm]

Found in the Chinese Himalayas, Assam, Bangladesh, eastern Himalayas, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Andaman Islands, Myanamar, Thailand, Laos, Casmbodia, Vietnam, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Malaysia, Lesser Sunda Islands, the Moluccas, Sulawesi, Philippines, New Guinea, Queensland Australia, New Caledonia and Taiwan in open places in montane, mixed and coniferous forests below 1500 meters in elevation as a deciduous, medium sized, cool to hot growing terrestrial with 4" to 6" tall, tapered pseudobulbs carrying 3 to 5 spade-shaped, plicate, brilliant green leaves and blooms on a single 12" spike that produces a dense raceme made up of hundreds of 1/4" purplish red long-lasting flowers, plants are deciduous in winter, and is a late spring and summer bloomer. This species name is most likely Malaxis ophrydis as its basionym is Epidendrum ophrydis and it was published in 1791 beating out Malaxis latifolia by 28 years, but M latifolia is the name that all commercial vendors use..

Synonyms Anaphora liparioides Gagnep. 1932; Crepidium ophrydis (J.König) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones 1996; Dienia congesta Lindl. 1825; Dienia curranii (Ames) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones 1996; Dienia fusca Lindl. 1830; Dienia latifolia (Sm.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones 1996; Dienia montana (Blume) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones 1996; Dienia ophrydis (J.König) Seidenf. 1997; Epidendrum ophrydis J.König 1791; Gastroglottis latifolia (Sm.) Szlach. 1995; Gastroglottis montana Blume 1825; Glossochilopsis carnosula (Rolfe ex Downie) Szlach. & Marg. 2001; Glossochilopsis finetii (Gagnep.) Szlach. 1995; Gyrostachys plantaginea (Spreng.) Kuntze 1891; Liparis bernaysii (F.Muell.) F.M.Bailey 1883; Liparis krempfii Gagnep. 1929; Liparis turfosa Gagnep. 1929; Malaxis carnosula (Rolfe ex Downie) Seidenf. & Smitinand 1959; Malaxis congesta (Lindl.) Deb 1962; Malaxis curranii Ames 1911; Malaxis finetii (Gagnep.) Tang & F.T.Wang 1951; Malaxis kizanensis (Masam.) S.Y.Hu 1974; Malaxis latifolia var. nana S.S.Ying 1985; Malaxis ophrydis (J.König) Ormerod 1995; Malaxis parvissima S.Y.Hu & Barretto 1976; Malaxis plicata Roxb. 1832; Malaxis shuicae S.S.Ying 1987; Malaxis vietnamensis T.B.Nguyen & D.H.Duong 1984; Microstylis bernaysii F.Muell. 1878; Microstylis carnosula Rolfe ex Downie 1925; Microstylis congesta Rchb. f. 1861; Microstylis dalatensis Guillaumin 1955 ; Microstylis finetii Gagnep 1932; Microstylis fusca (Lindl.) Rchb.f. 1861; Microstylis ishigakensis Ohwi 1937; Microstylis kizanensis Masam. 1933; Microstylis latifolia J.J. Sm. 1905; Microstylis trilobulata Kurz 1870; Neottia plantaginea D.Don 1825 ; Spiranthes plantaginea Spreng. 1826

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Orchids of Burma Grant 1895/95 as Microstylis congesta; Orchidiana Philipiniana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984; Orchids of Java Comber 1990; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994; The Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen & Mori 1997; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2001; Orchid Flora Of Kamrup District Assam Iswar Chandra Barua 2001; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003 as M ophyridis; Flora Malesiana Orchids of New Guinea Vol IV Shuiteman and de Vogel 2006; Orchids of Bhutan Pearce & Cribb 2007 as Malaxis ophrydis