Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 6, 2026

Malaxis monophyllos

Malaxis monophyllos, the white adder's mouth, is a terrestrial species of orchid. It is widespread across much of Europe, Asia, and much of southern Canada. In the United States, it grows mostly in southern Alaska, New England and the Great Lakes region, with isolated populations reported from Colorado and California.

Last revised
Aug 6, 2026
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Wikipedia ↗
White adder's mouth
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Malaxis
Species:
M. monophyllos
Binomial name
Malaxis monophyllos
Varieties1
  • M. m. var. brachypoda
  • M. m. var. monophyllos
  • M. m. var. obtusa
Synonyms1
List
    • Achroanthes monophyllos
    • Epipactis monophylla
    • Microstylis monophyllos
    • Ophrys monophyllos

Malaxis monophyllos, the white adder's mouth, is a terrestrial species of orchid. It is widespread across much of Europe (Germany, Italy, Poland, Scandinavia, Ukraine, etc.),2 Asia (China, Japan, Russia, Nepal, Philippines, etc.), and much of southern Canada.34 In the United States, it grows mostly in southern Alaska, New England and the Great Lakes region, with isolated populations reported from Colorado and California.56

Malaxis monophyllos var. monophyllos growing in the Akaishi Mountains of Japan source ↗

Taxonomy

Malaxis monophyllos was given the scientific name Ophrys monophyllos by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The botanist Olof Swartz moved it to the genus Malaxis in 1800 giving the species its accepted name. Along with it genus it is part of the Orchidaceae family. It has three accepted varieties according to Plants of the World Online.1

  • Malaxis monophyllos var. brachypoda (A.Gray) P.Morris & Eames
  • Malaxis monophyllos var. monophyllos
  • Malaxis monophyllos var. obtusa Tsukaya & H.Okada

Malaxis monophyllos and its varieties together have 37 synonyms.1789

Table of Synonyms
Name Year Rank Synonym of: Notes
Achroanthes acuminata Raf. 1836 species subsp. brachypoda = het., nom. nud.
Achroanthes cilifolia Raf. 1836 species subsp. monophyllos = het., nom. nud.
Achroanthes monophyllos (L.) Greene 1891 species M. monophyllos ≡ hom.
Achroanthes monophyllos f. diphyllos (Cham.) Koidz. ex Masam. 1916 form subsp. monophyllos = het.
Dienia gmelinii Lindl. 1830 species subsp. monophyllos = het.
Epipactis monophylla (L.) F.W.Schmidt 1795 species M. monophyllos ≡ hom.
Leptorkis japonica (Miq.) Kuntze 1891 species subsp. monophyllos = het.
Liparis inconspicua Makino 1892 species subsp. monophyllos = het., nom. nud.
Liparis japonica (Miq.) Maxim. 1886 species subsp. monophyllos = het.
Malaxis arisanensis (Hayata) S.Y.Hu 1974 species subsp. monophyllos = het.
Malaxis brachypoda (A.Gray) Fernald 1926 species subsp. brachypoda ≡ hom.
Malaxis brachypoda f. bifolia (Mousley) Fernald 1950 form subsp. brachypoda = het.
Malaxis diphyllos Cham. 1828 species subsp. monophyllos = het.
Malaxis monophyllos f. bifolia Mousley 1927 form subsp. brachypoda = het.
Malaxis monophyllos subsp. brachypoda (A.Gray) Á.Löve & D.Löve 1969 subspecies subsp. brachypoda ≡ hom.
Malaxis monophyllos var. diphyllos (Cham.) Luer 1975 variety subsp. monophyllos = het.
Malaxis monophyllos f. diphyllos (Cham.) Soó 1969 form subsp. monophyllos = het.
Malaxis monophyllos f. triphyllos Soó 1938 form subsp. monophyllos = het.
Malaxis muscifera var. stelostachya Tang & F.T.Wang 1951 variety subsp. monophyllos = het.
Malaxis taiwaniana S.S.Ying 1975 species subsp. monophyllos = het.
Malaxis yunnanensis (Schltr.) Tang & F.T.Wang 1951 species subsp. monophyllos = het.
Malaxis yunnanensis var. nematophylla Tang & F.T.Wang 1951 variety subsp. monophyllos = het.
Microstylis arisanensis Hayata 1916 species subsp. monophyllos = het.
Microstylis brachypoda A.Gray 1836 species subsp. brachypoda ≡ hom.
Microstylis diphylla (Cham.) Lindl. 1830 species subsp. monophyllos = het.
Microstylis japonica Miq. 1866 species subsp. monophyllos = het.
Microstylis monophyllos (L.) Lindl. 1830 species M. monophyllos ≡ hom.
Microstylis monophyllos var. bifolia (Mousley) Marg. 2007 variety subsp. brachypoda = het.
Microstylis monophyllos subsp. brachypoda (A.Gray) Szlach. & Marg. 2006 subspecies subsp. brachypoda ≡ hom.
Microstylis monophyllos var. diphyllos (Cham.) Nakai 1952 variety subsp. monophyllos = het.
Microstylis monophyllos var. obtusa (Tsukaya & H.Okada) Marg. 2007 variety subsp. obtusa ≡ hom.
Microstylis muscifera var. nematophylla (Tang & F.T.Wang) Marg. 2012 variety subsp. monophyllos = het.
Microstylis muscifera subsp. stelostachya (Tang & F.T.Wang) Marg. 2012 subspecies subsp. monophyllos = het.
Microstylis muscifera var. stelostachya (Tang & F.T.Wang) Marg. 2007 variety subsp. monophyllos = het.
Microstylis yunnanensis Schltr. 1912 species subsp. monophyllos = het.
Microstylis yunnanensis var. nematophylla (Tang & F.T.Wang) Marg. 2007 variety subsp. monophyllos = het.
Ophrys monophyllos L. 1753 species M. monophyllos ≡ hom.
Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym
References

References

  1. "Malaxis monophyllos (L.) Sw". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  2. Altervista Flora Italiana, Microstile, Malaxis monophyllos includes photos and European distribution map
  3. "Malaxis monophyllos". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020.
  4. Chen, Xinqi; Wood, Jeffrey J. "Malaxis monophyllos". Flora of China. Vol. 25 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  5. Catling, Paul M.; Magrath, Lawrence K. (2002). "Malaxis monophyllos". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  6. Kartesz, John T. (2014). "Malaxis monophyllos". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
  7. "Malaxis monophyllos var. brachypoda (A.Gray) P.Morris & Eames". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  8. "Malaxis monophyllos var. monophyllos". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  9. "Malaxis monophyllos var. obtusa Tsukaya & H.Okada". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
External links