Career
From 1861 to 1871, he was a middle-school teacher in the communities of Virton, Ath, Visé and Maeseyck. From 1871 to 1879 he was associated with research done at the Jardin botanique des Bruxelles. Additionally, from 1872 until 1899, he worked as a lecturer at various horticultural and teacher schools.
He was the binomial author of numerous species within the family Araliaceae.
The mycological genera Marchaliella and Marchalia are named in his honor, the latter genus being circumscribed by Pier Andrea Saccardo.