We have spotted striped coralroot, spotted coralroot, and yellow coralroot in the forest, often in large clumps.   With no green parts, they are easy to identify as coralroots , although it can be more diffucult to decide which one it is (inc. western coralroot) at early and late stages of growth.

• Corallorhiza striata (striped coralroot) is a perennial saprophytic  in the orchid family.   It takes its nutrients from decaying matter in a symbiotic relationships with fungi in the soil.  It does not produce chlorophyll like most plants.
• It grows from rhizomes and the shiny purplish/red leafless stems (it has small scales/scapes) grow from 15 to 40 cm tall.
• A variety of colors may be present – salmon, coral, pink, white, yellow, or red, but the striped coralroot flowers may have 3 red or purple stripes on each sepal.   Spotted coralroot tends to be more white with red spots.

Red Plateau in June

All photos taken by the author.   Click and image for a caption.

coralroot

coralroot

coralroot

coralroot

coralroot

coralroot

striped coralroot

• Coralroot blooms in late spring to summer.
• They are thought to be pollinated by gnats, mosquitoes, and wasps.
• Capsules form after flowering.
• They produce a large number of powdery seeds that must land in the right spot (soil fungus matrix) to germinate.
• We have encountered it most often in wet, forested locations at mid-elevations in our area.
• If you dig down you may see that the word “coral” comes from the shape of the rhizomes.
• Coralroot may “disappear” from the spot in the next years, reappearing in the vicinity when the conditions are just right.

It is always a bit of surprise to find coralroots in the forest.  In a period of lush green growth, the clumps seem out of place and out of season.