Malaxis monophyllos var. brachypoda

White bog adder's-mouth

Family: Orchidaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.1

White bog adder's-mouth is a rare (CNPS 2B.1) California native perennial found in the San Bernardino Mountains in wet meadows and shaded conifer forest areas at elevations of 2,200 to 2,800 meters. Flowering from July to August, this delicate orchid produces tiny green to yellow flowers with distinctive triangular lips and linear petals. Growing with a bulb-like caudex to 15 centimeters tall, the plant emerges with a single wide-lanceolate leaf 4 to 5.5 centimeters long. Its leaf is notable for having a prominent sheath 2 to 3 centimeters long and a triangular shape with a cordate base. The small flowers feature narrow-lanceolate sepals and a beak-like lip tip, creating an intricate miniature botanical structure characteristic of this rare orchid.

Habitat: Wet meadows, shaded places, conifer forest

Bloom period: Jul-Aug

Elevation: 2200-2800 m

Bioregions: SnBr (presumed extinct SnJt)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.