Malaxis melanophylla (Schltr.) P.F.Hunt 1970 Type Drawing by © Schlechter and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Black Leaved Malaxis

Flower Size

Found in New Guinea at elevations around 1200 meters as a small to medium sized, cool growing terrestrial with a short rhizome giving rise to a short, terete, glabrous stem carrying 6 to 8, glossy, dark violet, erect-patent, obliquely elliptic to to lanceolate-elliptic, acuminate, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the fall on a strict to substrict, thin, angled, glabrous, to 5.2" [13 cm] long, laxly 15 to many flowered inflorescence with deflexed, lanceolate, acute, shorter than the ovary floral bract.

Schlechter states that the flowers are olive green with non glossy, dark violet-red tips to the sepals and petals and the lip is reddish in the center.

Synonyms Crepidium melanophyllum (Schltr.) Szlach. 1995; *Microstylis melanophylla Schltr. 1911

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1911 as Microstylis melanophylla Drawing fide;

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