Plants 16–45 cm. Pseudobulbs 5–10 mm diam. Leaves 1, within proximal 1/3 of stem; blade orbiculate-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, (3–)4.1–8.5(–10) × 0.2–0.45 (–0.65) cm, apex obtuse to acute. Inflorescences racemes, 6–25 cm; rachis slightly angled; floral bracts triangular to lanceolate, 1–2 × 0.5 mm, apex acute; pedicels not crowded, 2.5–5 mm. Flowers 16–133, resupinate, deep maroon or greenish maroon; sepals papillose, not glabrous; dorsal sepal lanceolate, 1.8–2.4 × 0.8–1.2 mm, margins revolute, apex acute; lateral sepals lanceolate-elliptic, falcate, 1.8–2.4 × 0.8–1.2 mm, apex acute; petals strongly recurved, linear to filiform, slightly falcate, 1.8–2.2 × 0.2–0.4 mm, apex obtuse; lip linear to linear-lanceolate, 1.8–2.3 × 1.3–1.8 mm, base with auricles broad and diverging, apex narrowly acuminate; column 0.5–0.8 × 0.5–0.8 mm; pollinia yellow. Capsules ascending, ellipsoid, 5 × 3 mm.

Flowering summer (Jul--Sep). Open coniferous and mixed forests on dry slopes; 2000 m; Tex.; Mexico.

The confusion among Malaxis porphyrea, M. ehrenbergii, and M. wendtii is discussed under 10. M. porphyrea.