Corallorhiza maculata
Spotted coralroot
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Family: Orchidaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Corallorhiza maculata (Spotted coralroot) is a native California herb in the Orchidaceae family.
Spotted coralroot is a California native perennial orchid found throughout the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains in mixed conifer and broadleaf forests at elevations of 500 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this delicate orchid produces yellow-brown to deep pink or red flowers with distinctive dark spots, each bloom featuring a white lip marked with red or purple markings. Growing 17 to 55 centimeters tall with stems ranging from red to yellow-brown, the plant emerges as a slender, somewhat translucent orchid without green leaves. Its flowers feature spreading sepals 5.5 to 10 millimeters long, with a white lip 5 to 7 millimeters wide that has two rounded lateral lobes and a crenate or toothed tip. The fruit develops 15 to 20 millimeters long, completing the plant's distinctive reproductive cycle.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated species with no sympatric congeners
Habitat and range
California counties: Humboldt, Butte, Fresno, Riverside, Placer, San Bernardino, San Diego, Siskiyou, Shasta, Lassen, Alameda, Tuolumne, Kern, Amador, Madera, Mariposa, Sierra, Trinity, Tulare, Plumas, Calaveras, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Marin, El Dorado, Mono, Inyo, Nevada, Modoc, Tehama, Sonoma, Monterey, Lake, Del Norte, Santa Clara, Napa, Alpine, Colusa
How to tell it apart
vs Pyrola: Corallorhiza is completely leafless; Pyrola has basal rosette of green evergreen leaves.; vs Pterospora: Corallorhiza has multiple small orchid flowers; Pterospora has urn-shaped flowers and sticky-hairy reddish stems.; vs Sarcodes: Corallorhiza has small distinct orchid flowers; Sarcodes has bright red fleshy bell-shaped flowers.; vs Epipactis: Corallorhiza is entirely brown/purple toned; Epipactis has green leafy stems.; vs Spiranthes: Corallorhiza is brown/pink/purple throughout; Spiranthes has green stems with white flowers in spiral.
Frequently asked questions
Is Corallorhiza maculata native to California?
Yes. Corallorhiza maculata is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Corallorhiza maculata grow?
Corallorhiza maculata occurs in Humboldt, Butte, Fresno, Riverside, Placer, San Bernardino, San Diego, Siskiyou and other counties.
What plant family does Corallorhiza maculata belong to?
Corallorhiza maculata is in the Orchidaceae family, genus Corallorhiza.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.