Corallorhiza is a genus in the Orchidaceae family from North and Central America. It is commonly known as coralroot because its rhizome branches are short and scaly and resemble a marine coral.
Corallorhiza maculata is found in shaded coniferous forests from California to British Columbia, also in the eastern United States and New Mexico. It has red brown to pink spotted petals and a white spotted lip. It is a saprophyte, a plant without green parts that receives its nutrients from decaying plant material. The first photo by Bob Rutemoeller was taken in Kruse Rhododendron State Park and the next photos by by Mary Sue Ittner in Mendocino County.
Corallorhiza mertensiana is found in shaded to open mixed-evergreen or coniferous forests in decomposing litter. It has pink to red sepals. Photos taken by Bob Rutemoeller in Kruse Rhododendron State Park and Salt Point State Park, California.
Corallorhiza striata occurs in similar places to C. maculata. It too is a saprophyte with stripes instead of spots on the flower parts.
Corallorhiza wisteriana is found in mixed deciduous forests in the southeastern United States. Its survival is based through a relationship with a fungus or fungi which decompose forest litter and the plants have no foliage or photosynthetic parts. Flowers appear variably in January and February in the Florida panhandle where these photos were taken. Note the camouflaged nature of the flowers. Photos by Alani Davis.
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