''Corallorhiza maculata'', or spotted coralroot, is a

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

n coralroot orchid. It has three varieties: ''C. maculata var. occidentalis'' (western spotted coralroot), ''C. maculata var. maculata'' (eastern spotted coralroot or summer coralroot), and ''C. maculata var. mexicana''. It is widespread through Mexico,

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

, Canada, St. Pierre & Miquelon, and much of the western and northern United States (though generally absent from the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

and from the lowland parts of the Southeast). It grows mostly in montane woodlands.

Description

''Corallorhiza maculata'' is a myco-heterotroph; it lacks

chlorophyll Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to a ...

and obtains energy by parasitizing the mycelium of fungi in the family Russulaceae. The rhizome and lower stem are often knotted into branched coral shapes. The stem is usually red or brown in color, but occasionally comes in a light yellow or cream color. There are no leaves and no photosynthetic green tissues. The stems bear dark red scales and intricate orchid flowers. ''Corallorhiza maculata'' flowers are small and emerge regularly from all sides of the stem. The sepals are dark red or brown tinged with purple, long and pointed. The side petals are reddish, and the lip petal is bright clean white with deep red spots. It is usually scalloped along its edges and . In some varieties, the lip may be plain white without spots.

Uses

Several Native American groups historically used the orchid's stems dried and brewed as a tea for such maladies as colds, pneumonia, and skin irritation. ''Corallorhiza maculata'' is also the topic of the poem ''On Going Unnoticed'' by Robert Frost.

References

External links

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Jepson Manual - ''Corallorhiza maculata''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2996998 maculata Parasitic plants Myco-heterotrophic orchids Orchids of Canada Orchids of Mexico Orchids of the United States Orchids of Guatemala Flora of the Western United States Flora of the Eastern United States Flora of the Northern United States Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Flora of California Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Plants described in 1817 Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque Flora without expected TNC conservation status

Description

Uses

References

Further reading

External links