Family: Orchidaceae,
Orchid
Genus: Corallorhiza
Description
General: perennial, saprophytic, lacking chlorophyll, 15-40
cm tall, the stems usually purplish- tinged, from thick,
coral-like roots.
 Leaves: alternate, reduced to thin, semi-transparent
sheaths on the stem.
 Flowers: 7-30 in a narrow cluster up to 2 dm tall, the
flower stalks stout, 1-3 mm long. Tepals pink or yellowish-
pink, with usually 3 narrow, lengthwise, purplish stripes.
Sepals oblong-lanceolate, 10-17 mm long, 2-4 mm broad,
the side pair about horizontal, not joined in front of the
column, a spur lacking. Petals slightly shorter but broader
than the sepals, narrowly oblong-obovate, 3-6 mm broad,
the lip broadly oblong-elliptic, not lobed, 8-15 mm long,
6-8 mm broad, concave, with upturned and strongly
thickened edges, the stripes deep-colored and merging at
the tip. Reproductive column 4-7 mm long, deeply purple-
spotted near the base.
Flowering time: May-August.
 Fruits: capsules, bent back, 12-25 mm long.
Distribution
In deep coniferous to deciduous forest, in w. and c. parts
of MT. Also from B.C. to Quebec, s. through most of w.
U.S. to CA, UT, and NM, and to MI and n. Mexico. |
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