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Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis in fruit
Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis (Wester Coral-root Orchid) in a sunny opening in a mixed conifer/deciduous forest. Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana), Black Spruce (Piceae mariana), and Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) were the most common trees in the canopy. This variety and C. m. var. maculata occur in Minnesota and other states as well. Also, var. maculata is yellowish and blooms about a month after var. occidentalis.
Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis is an orchid with no chlorophyll and derives its carbohydrates from a parasitic relationship with fungi. The plant is reddish in color, fleshy and somewhat brittle with leaves that are reduced to mere scales. The flower petals are spotted with red dots (maculata = spotted).
Erect raceme of 6 to 50, ½-inch flowers. Flaring at the top is a central sepal flanked by a pair of petals, with two lateral spreading sepals just below them, the sepals slightly.. more
