OECHIDACEAE 323 



29. MALAXIS Soland. 



Scapose herbs, with corms. Leaves mainly elongated sheaths, the upper one 

 bearing a dilated blade at the top. Flowers in a terminal raceme. Perianth white 

 or greenish. Lateral sepals slightly inequilateral. Petals linear-filiform or filiform, 

 shorter than the sepals. Lip broad, cordate at the base, sometimes lobed at the apex. 

 Capsules short. [Achroanthes Kaf.] Summer and fall. ADDERS-MOUTH. 



Lip with basal auricles: lateral sepals obtuse. 



Lip with 2 lateral lobes projecting far beyond the minute middle one: lateral sepals much shorter 



than the lip. 1. M. unifolia. 



Lip with 2 broadly rounded lateral lobes shorter than the middle one but 



broader: lateral sepal nearly as long as the lip. 2. M. Floridana. 



Lip without basal auricles: lateral sepals acuminate. 3. M. monophyllos. 



1. Malaxis unifolia Michx. Leaves mostly solitary ; blades oblong, ovate or 

 oval, 2-6 cm. long: scape 1-3 dm. tall: raceme stout: lateral sepals ovate or oblong- 

 ovate 1-1.5 mm. long, obtuse: lip about 2.5 mm. long, the 2 lateral lobes much larger 

 than the middle one: capsule 5-6 mm. long. 



In woods, Newfoundland to Minnesota, Florida and Missouri. 



2. Malaxis Floridana (Chapm.) Small. Leaves mostly 2; blades ovate to 

 oblong-ovate, 310 cm. long: scape 1-3 dm. tall: raceme stoutish: lateral sepals oblong 

 or nearly so, about 3 mm. long, obtuse: lip about 3.5 mm. long, aurieled at the base, 

 with a broad blunt tin: capsules 6-7 mm. long. \Microstylis Floridana Chapm.] 



In woods, often in hammocks, Florida. 



3. Malaxis monophyllos (L.) Sw. Leaves solitary; blades oblong-elliptic 

 to oval, 3-7 cm. long: scape 1-2 dm. tall: raceme slender: lateral sepals lanceolate, 

 about 2.5 mm. long, acuminate: lip 2-2.5 mm. long, not aurieled at the base, with a 

 reniform base and an acuminate tip: capsules 4-5 mm. long. 



In woods, Quebec to Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Texas. 



30. LIPARIS L. C. Rich. 



Scapose green herbs, with corms. Leaves 2 or more at the base of the scape, 

 with wide blades, accompanied by several scales. Flowers in a terminal raceme. 

 Perianth greenish. Lateral sepals narrow, nearly equilateral. Petals linear, 

 elongated-linear or filiform, longer than the sepals. Lip free, dilated, undulate or 

 erose, sometimes with tubercles at the base. Capsules erect. Spring and summer. 



TWAYBLADB. 



Lip cuneately dilated at the apex and notched: petals broadly linear. 1. L. elata 



Lip rounded at the apex and abruptly pointed: petals narrowly linear to linear-fili- 

 form. 



Lip with an undulate blade 2.5-3.5 mm. wide: petals narrowly linear. 2. L. Loeselii. 



Lip with an erose blade 12-13 mm. wide: petals linear-filiform. 3. L. liliifolia. 



1. Liparis elata Lindl. Leaf-blades few, broad, elliptic, oblong or oblong- 

 ovate, 6-18 cm. long: scape 15-43 cm. tall: lateral sepals ovate-oval, about 5 mm. 

 long: petals broadly linear, about 5.5 mm. long: lip about 4 mm. long, the blade 

 broadly cuneate, notched at the apex: capsules clavate-oblong or clavate-oval, 16-21 

 mm. long. 



In hammocks, southern peninsular Florida. Also in tropical America. 



2. Liparis Loeselii (L.) L. C. Rich. Leaf -blades elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 

 5-17 cm. long: scape 0.5-2 dm. tall: lateral sepals lanceolate, about 4 mm. long: 

 petals 6-7 mm. long: lip about 4 mm. long, the blade suborbicular, abruptly pointed: 

 capsules oblong, 10-14 mm. 



In wet places, Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan, Maryland, Alabama and Missouri. Also 

 in Europe. 



3. Liparis liliifolia (L.) L. C. Rich. Leaf -blades ovate to oval or oblong-ovate, 

 5-15 cm. long: scape 1-3 dm. tall: lateral sepals linear-lanceolate or nearly linear, 

 about 11 mm. long: petals 11-13 mm. long: lip 11-13 mm. long, the blade obovate- 



