Malaxis sp.
(c) Motohiro Sunouchi, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orchidaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Malaxis sp. is a native California perennial in the Orchidaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Listera: Malaxis has one basal leaf and many tiny flowers; Listera has two opposite stem leaves.; vs Platanthera: Malaxis has one grass-like basal leaf; Platanthera has multiple stem leaves present at flowering.; vs Epipactis: Malaxis is tiny with one basal leaf; Epipactis is robust with multiple broad stem leaves.; vs Goodyera: Malaxis has one grass-like leaf; Goodyera has multiple evergreen leaves with white vein patterns.; vs Spiranthes: Malaxis flowers in straight spike; Spiranthes flowers arranged in obvious spiral pattern.
Frequently asked questions
Is Malaxis sp. native to California?
Yes. Malaxis sp. is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Malaxis sp. belong to?
Malaxis sp. is in the Orchidaceae family, genus Malaxis.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.