Tribe Malaxideae - The Pollination Biology of North American Orchids: North of Florida and Mexico - page 93

Fig. 5.1 Malaxis paludosa . ( a ) Flower, front view, scale bar = 1 mm; ( b ) flower, side view, scale
bar = 1 mm; ( c ) column, back view, scale bar = 0.2 mm; ( d ) column, front view, scale bar = 0.2 mm;
( e ) pollinia (two shown) held together by drop of rostellar glue, scale bar = 0.2 mm. ( c )-( e ) Modified
from Darwin ( 1862 ). an anther, cl clinandrum, fi filament, po pollinia, ro rostellum, rg rostellar glue,
sg stigma
over time (Fig. 5.1e ). Caudicles are absent. The stigma, located on the front half of
the column at the base of the rostellum (Fig. 5.1d ), is covered by a film of viscous
fluid (Darwin 1862 ).
Flowering begins at the bottom of the inflorescence, and buds are produced
from the apex throughout the flowering period. The first flowers to open remain
fresh for the length of the blooming period, about 4-5 weeks, whereas late flowers
MAYBLOOMFORONLYAFEWDAYS2EEVESAND2EEVES 1984 ). Only the lip wilts; the
sepals and other petals on both the unfertilized flowers and developing fruit remain
fresh and green into late August. The leaves of this tiny orchid are smaller than in
other American species of Malaxis AND2EEVESAND2EEVES 1984 ) suggest that the