Corallorhiza maculata var. maculata
Summer coralroot
Family: Orchidaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Summer coralroot is a California native perennial orchid found in northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, southern California mountains, Peninsular Ranges, Modoc Plateau, and White and Inyo Mountains in shaded mixed-evergreen or conifer forests, growing in decomposing leaf litter at elevations up to 2,800 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces small flowers with delicate white to pale pink spots and blotches, clustered in distinctive inflorescences. Growing as a non-photosynthetic mycoheterotrophic orchid with slender, pale stems arising from coral-like underground rhizomes, it lacks typical green plant structures. Its flowers have minimal bracts approximately 0.5 to 1 millimeter long, with lips that do not widen toward the flower's tip. This unique orchid survives by obtaining nutrients through a symbiotic relationship with forest fungi, making it a fascinating example of plant adaptation in woodland ecosystems.
Habitat: Shaded mixed-evergreen or conifer forest, in decomposing leaf litter
Bloom period: May-Aug
Elevation: < 2800 m
Bioregions: NW, CaR, SN (exc Teh), SnFrB, SCoRO, SnGb, SnBr, PR, MP, W&I
California counties: Tulare, Marin, Del Norte, San Diego, El Dorado, Lake, Monterey
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.