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Malaxis resupinata

Malaxis Orchid

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Image:	Leaves and flowers	57KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Malaxis Orchid

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Vanuatu - Society Islands.

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group only (Rarotonga - common, Mangaia - rare); Land, mountains (+++)

KEY FEATURES: Ground orchid to 40cm. STEM to 10cm. LEAVES 4-7, ascending, glossy green, wide-oval, to 20x8cm. FLOWERS on terminal spike to 30cm with many small, 7mmØ, purplish to maroon flowers.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++++	++	-	-	-	-	-		-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Malaxis resupinata (G.Forster)
SYNONYMS: Epidendrum resupinata; Microstylis resupinata; Microstylis plantaginea [sensu TC]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); LILIOPSIDA (=Monocotyledones); LILIIDAE; Orchidales; ORCHIDACEAE

More Information

GENERAL NOTE: Common in damp areas of the inland forests of Rarotonga, recorded on Mangaia on volcanics against inner makatea, absent elsewhere. Fiji has 13 species including 8 endemic species, while the Cooks has two native species.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
Special Reference: Detailed in Smith (1991) Flora Vitiensis Nova, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kauai.

p.5/371 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.297 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.36 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.55 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM04b, zD02, zupD05a

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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