Distribution: Reported to occur west of the Cascades crest in northwestern Washington, though no specimens seen; Alaska to northwestern Washington, east across Canada to the Great Lakes region and northeastern North America; disjunct in California and Colorado; also in Japan.
Habitat: Lowland bogs and swamps.
Flowers: May-July
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)
Herbaceous perennials, terrestrial to somewhat epiphytic, glabrous throughout, to 25 cm tall; pseudobulbs at base of stems, globose, 5-10 mm diameter; fibrous roots few, 0.3-1 mm wide.
Leaves 1-3, on lower 1/3 of stem, more or less elliptic, base sheathing.
Inflorescence a racemose terminal spike, 1-12 cm, floral bracts insignificant; flowers 5-80, light green to light yellowish-green, commonly resupinate, pedicellate; sepals spreading, 1-6 ,mm, lanceolate to narrowly ovate or narrowly oblong, margins curled backward, apex acuminate; petals curved backward, linear to somewhat lanceolate or filiform, apex rounded; labellum ovate to broadly deltate, concave, base truncate, with forward-directed lobes, apex unlobed and acuminate; column free, 0.4-0.8 mm long and wide; anther terminal; pollinia yellow.
Capsules, ascending, 5 mm long and 3 mm broad, ellipsoid; previous year’s fruiting structures commonly persist into present year’s flowering period.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Malaxis monophyllos in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Malaxis monophyllos checklist entry.
OregonFlora: Malaxis monophyllos information.
E-Flora BC: Malaxis monophyllos atlas page.
CalPhotos: Malaxis monophyllos photos.
USDA Plants: Malaxis monophyllos information.