Appearance
Colorful Malaxis is a terrestrial orchid with short stem, pseudobulb ovoid. Leaves are 2 rarely 3 stalkless or shortly stalkes, ovate to lanceshaped. Flowers are borne in densely flowered raceme atop leafless stem. Bracts are lanceshaped, deflexed. Flowers are small, yellow or purple, lip is short wedge-shaped or kidney-shaped, with comb-like teeth. It apppears similar to M. Rheedei, but always small, and pseudobulbous, with stalkless leaves and smaller flowers in denser spikes.Naming
Synonyms:Calanthe versicolor Lindl.
Corymborkis versicolor (Lindl.) M.R.Almeida
Liparis priochilus G.Lodd.
Malaxis rheedei B.Heyne ex Wall.
Malaxis versicolor (Lindl.) Santapau & Kopadia
Microstylis versicolor Lindl.
Seidenfia rheedei (Sw.) Szlach.
Seidenfia versicolor (Lindl.) M.R.Almeida
Seidenfia versicolor (Lindl.) Marg. & Szlach.
Thelymitra versicolor Lindl.
Distribution
Colorful Malaxis is found in India, up to Assam in the east, South India and Sri Lanka.References:
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http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Colorful%20Malaxis.html