Malaxis brachypoda

Malaxis brachypoda, the White Adder's-mouth, is one of our smallest native orchids. It is not found in Washington State but is found further north and further east. This plant is only a few inches tall and the flowers minuscule. Most people would step on it without even noticing it. It is sometimes considered to be the same species as the European Malaxis monophyllos, but there are significant differences. This example was photographed near Edmonton on our visit there last summer and was shown me by a friend who took me orchid-hunting for a day and was the first time I had seen this species.