Flower:

Typically a thimble sized club or cylindrical raceme up to 5 inches (1 to 13 cm) long of 10 to 100+ green flowers less than 1/8 inch long, on slender stalks much longer than the flowers. The lower lip is divided into 2 lobes; 3 upper sepals spread out, with 2 thread-like lateral petals. Flowers stalks are twisted with flowers frequently held sideways.

Leaves and stem:

A single leaf is attached at about mid-stem, egg-shaped to elliptical with a blunt or pointed tip, 2/3 to 4 inches (1.6 to 10 cm) long, ½ to 2 inches (to 5 cm) wide, sheathing the stem. The stem is smooth with another sheath at the base. 

Fruit:

Fruit is a round to ellipic, spreading to slightly drooping capsule, about 1/3 inch (8 mm) long at maturity, filled with dust-like seed.

Notes:

Another one of our midget orchids, Green Adder's-mouth may be more common in southern areas of the state than records indicate, but color and stature make it a difficult observation. While there are other orchid species with a single leaf, and some with leaves attached just at mid-stem, Green Adder's-mouth and the related White Adder's-mouth (Malaxis monophyllos) are the only ones in Minnesota with a single leaf that's not basal. When flowering, the cylindrical cluster of relatively long-stalked flowers is unique among Minnesota's orchids and distinguishes Green Adder's-mouth from the rest.