Malaxis wendtii Salazar
Wendt's Adder's Mouth
Facts About
Accepted Synonym: Tamayorkis wendtii.
Malaxis wendtii or Wendt's Adder's Mouth Orchid, grows in Mexico and reaches its northern limit in the Big Bend area of Texas. This orchid has a single leaf that appears one third of the way up the feathery stem with numerous tiny blooms. The flowers are deep maroon or greenish maroon with thread-like petals that are strongly recurved and the labellum is linear with broad auricles at the base. Tiny hairs cover the upper surfaces of the petals, sepals and lip giving the flowers a velvety appearance which distinguish this orchid from M. ehrenbergii, a Mexican species that is not found in the US. Malaxis wendtii grows in oak-juniper-pinyon woodlands in moist canyons and on north-facing slopes.
Malaxis wendtii is ranked globally as imperiled, with many of the populations located in Mexico where it may be locally abundant. In Texas, it is known from only a handful of locations in the Chisos Mountains and considered extremely rare.
Pollination
Pollinator information for this orchid has not been reported but flower morphology suggests fungus gnats.
Ecosystem Type
Forests, woodlands
Characteristics
- Habitat:
- terrestrial
- Leaf arrangement:
- stem
- Number of leaves on stem:
- one
- Form of the labellum:
- the labellum is not pouch-like
- Labellum outline:
- the labellum is simple
- Main color of labellum:
-
- crimson
- green to brown
- Nectar spur:
- absent
- Inflorescence type:
- the inflorescence is a raceme
- Labellum characteristics:
- the labellum is simple
- Labellum length:
- 1.8–2.3 mm
- Sepal length:
- 1.8–2.4 mm
- Plant height:
- 16–45 cm
Native to North America
Yes
North American Conservation Status & Distribution
Conservation Status
| Conservation and Wetland Status | |
|---|---|
| Global Rank | Imperiled |
| US Status | N/A |
| Canadian Status | N/A |