Corallorhiza maculata
| Corallorhiza maculata | |
|---|---|
| Corallorhiza maculata var. maculata | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
| Genus: | Corallorhiza |
| Species: | C. maculata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Corallorhiza maculata | |
| Varieties[2] | |
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Corallorhiza maculata, or spotted coralroot, is a North American coralroot orchid.[3] 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, Canada, St. Pierre & Miquelon, and much of the western and northern United States (though generally absent from the Great Plains and from the lowland parts of the Southeast). It grows mostly in montane woodlands.[4][5][6]
Description
Corallorhiza maculata is a myco-heterotroph; it lacks chlorophyll and obtains energy by parasitizing the mycelium of fungi in the family Russulaceae.[7] 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 7–10 mm (9⁄32–13⁄32 in). In some varieties, the lip may be plain white without spots.
Taxonomy
Corallorhiza maculata was scientifically described and named by Constantine Rafinesque in 1817. It is classified in the genus Corallorhiza within the family Orchidaceae. It has three varieties according to Plants of the World Online:[2]
- Corallorhiza maculata var. maculata
- Corallorhiza maculata var. mexicana (Lindl.) Freudenst.
- Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis (Lindl.) Ames
Corallorhiza maculata has 23 synonyms of the species or one of its three varieties.[8][9][10]
| Name | Year | Rank | Synonym of: | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cladorhiza maculata (Raf.) Raf. | 1828 | species | C. maculata | ≡ hom. |
| Corallorhiza grabhamii Cockerell | 1903 | species | var. occidentalis | = het. |
| Corallorhiza leimbachiana Suksd. | 1906 | species | var. occidentalis | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata f. aurea P.M.Br. | 1995 | form | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata var. flavida (M.Peck) Cockerell | 1916 | variety | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata f. flavida (M.Peck) Farw. | 1927 | form | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata var. fusca Bartlett | 1922 | variety | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata var. immaculata M.Peck | 1950 | variety | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata f. immaculata (M.Peck) J.T.Howell | 1970 | form | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata var. intermedia Farw. | 1917 | variety | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata f. intermedia (Farw.) Farw. | 1927 | form | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata subsp. occidentalis (Lindl.) Cockerell | 1916 | subspecies | var. occidentalis | ≡ hom. |
| Corallorhiza maculata var. ozettensis Tisch | 2001 | variety | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata var. punicea Bartlett | 1922 | variety | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata f. punicea (Bartlett) Weath. & J.Adams | 1945 | form | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza maculata f. rubra P.M.Br. | 1995 | form | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza mexicana Lindl. | 1840 | species | var. mexicana | ≡ hom. |
| Corallorhiza multiflora Nutt. | 1823 | species | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza multiflora var. flavida M.Peck | 1897 | variety | var. maculata | = het. |
| Corallorhiza multiflora var. occidentalis Lindl. | 1840 | variety | var. occidentalis | ≡ hom. |
| Corallorhiza multiflora var. sulphurea Suksd. | 1906 | variety | var. maculata | = het. |
| Neottia mexicana (Lindl.) Kuntze | 1891 | species | var. mexicana | ≡ hom. |
| Neottia multiflora (Nutt.) Kuntze | 1891 | species | var. maculata | = het. |
| Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym | ||||
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.
Gallery
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Corallorhiza maculata var occidentalis in Sonoma County.
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Detail of the flowers.
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First blooms: only a few flowers have opened.
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First flower shoot.
References
- ^ NatureServe (5 September 2025). "Corallorhiza maculata". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ a b c "Corallorhiza maculata". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ Wiese, Karen (2013). Sierra Nevada Wildflowers (2nd ed.). p. 99.
- ^ "Corallorhiza maculata". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022.
- ^ Kartesz, John T. (2014). "Corallorhiza maculata". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
- ^ Magrath, Lawrence K.; Freudenstein, John V. (2002). "Corallorhiza maculata". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ Lee Taylor D; TD Bruns (October 1999). "Population, habitat and genetic correlates of mycorrhizal specialization in the 'cheating' orchids corallorhiza maculata and C. mertensiana". Molecular Ecology. 8 (10): 1719–1732. Bibcode:1999MolEc...8.1719L. doi:10.1046/j.1365-294x.1999.00760.x. PMID 10583834.
- ^ "Corallorhiza maculata var. maculata". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Corallorhiza maculata var. mexicana (Lindl.) Freudenst". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis (Lindl.) Ames". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
Further reading
- Taylor, D.L. & T.D. Bruns. (1997). Independent, specialized invasions of ectomycorrhizal mutualism by two nonphotosynthetic orchids. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA vol. 94 pp. 4510–4515.
External links
- Media related to Corallorhiza maculata at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Corallorhiza maculata at Wikispecies
- Jepson Manual - Corallorhiza maculata