Orchidaceae

Corallorrhiza maculata

Spotted Coralroot

Stem erect, red to yellow-brown. Leaves bract-like wrapped on stem. Flowers on upper stem. Five upper flower petals similar color to stem; lower petal much larger, white, with 4–8 large red to purple spots. Inside flower is a curved column with pollen and nectar beneath. Lacking spur under base of lower petal. Grows in deep forest duff below timberline. Weight of an insect on lower petal exposes pollen and sticky stigma surface to receive pollen from other flowers. In same but damper habitat, closer to small streams, is C. trifida, northern coralroot, with yellowish stem and white to yellowish flowers.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 7--22 inches
• Habitat: West-Side Forest, East-Side Forest
• Found In: Olympic Np, Mt. Rainier Np, N Cascades Np, Crater Lake Np, Wallowas, West Gorge, Siskiyous, Steens
• Native: Yes