''Corallorhiza bentleyi'' is a rare species of

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

known deciduous forests in the mountains of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

.Biota of North America Program, distribution map for ''Corallorhiza bentleyi''
/ref> It was undescribed until 1999.Freudenstein, J.V. 1999. A new species of ''Corallorhiza'' (Orchidaceae) from West Virginia, U.S.A. Novon 9:511-513.
/ref> It is a

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has c ...

plant, with yellow to reddish stems and

cleistogamous Cleistogamy is a type of automatic self-pollination of certain plants that can propagate by using non-opening, self-pollinating flowers. Especially well known in peanuts, peas, and pansies, this behavior is most widespread in the grass family. How ...

flowers.

References

External links

US Department of Agriculture Plants ProfileGo Orchids, North American Orchid Conservation CenterDigital Atlas of the Virginia Flora
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15432074 bentleyi Parasitic plants Myco-heterotrophic orchids Flora of West Virginia Flora of Virginia Endemic flora of the United States Plants described in 1999 1999 in West Virginia Flora without expected TNC conservation status