User:Wack Yak/Malaxis soulei

= Malaxis soulei =

Malaxis soulei is a common species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae. It is a terrestrial orchid native to the Americas. Common names include mountain malaxis and rat-tail malaxis.

Description
Malaxis soulei can grow up to 35 cm tall. These plants are characterized by the presence of a single leaf that starts roughly 4 cm above the ground and a spicate inflorescence that is densely populated with more than 100 small green to yellowish green flowers. The flowers can start growing from 2 to 7 cm above the base of the leaf. The first leaves typically begin to appear shortly after the start of monsoon season. Flowers typically begin to appear as soon as three weeks later with early flowering times in mid-July. Plants continue to bloom as late as September. Fruit set for this species varies widely, with some individuals setting no fruit and others setting 1 to 10 capsules.

Taxonomy
The plant Malaxis soulei was originally described by J. T. Rothrock. He placed this orchid in the genus Microstylis, which is now considered to be a synonym for the current genus Malaxis. This species was given its name by L. O. Williams in 1934. In 1937, Williams established Malaxis macrostachya as a synonymous species name, but returned to using the referent name in 1951. Today, these names are used interchangeably.

This orchid is in the genus Malaxis, which is a polyphyletic genus that contains over 200 diverse species. The species in this genus are all terrestrial orchids that are anatomically characterized by the presence of a pseudobulb-type structure. Some authors have disputed the ranking of Malaxis as a genus-level descriptor, but have conceded that not enough species have been described to re-classify its species.

Distribution and habitat
M. soulei occurs in Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico in the United States. Occurrences have also been documented in mountainous areas of central Mexico and in Panama.

This orchid has been documented to grow in elevations between 5,300 and 9,200 ft. They have been shown to grow mainly in conifer forest biomes.

Ecology
Because they can adapt to a wide range of moisture conditions, M. soulei is often a locally common orchid. Their tolerance for different elevations and habitats makes them a relatively hearty species. M. soulei was one of the first species to grow in lightly burned areas following the Aspen fire on June 16, 2003. They have also been shown to be able to bloom in close proximity to other orchids.

Fungal associations
Although no research has examined the mycorrhizal associations of M. soulei, some research has addressed associations in the other species belonging to the genus Malaxis.

Associations with the related species M. acuminata have been shown to be limited to inner-cortical zones of roots and rhizomes. The presence of aseptate intracellular hyphae and Glomus-type vessicles indicates that they may form some variety of arbuscular mycorrhizal associations. However, hyphal coils and arbuscules were absent, indicating that the identified association may be non-functional.

Researching regarding the associations of M. monophyllos identified the presence of two major fungal groups. L. orchidicola, a dark septate endophyte species, and Tulasnella sp., a group of Rhizoctonia fungi, were identified on the roots of samples of these orchids.