Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis
Summer coralroot
Family: Orchidaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Summer coralroot is a native perennial orchid found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coastal Ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, Modoc Plateau, and White and Inyo Mountains in shaded mixed-evergreen or conifer forests at elevations up to 2,800 meters. Flowering from February to August, this distinctive orchid produces pale pink to cream-colored flowers with reddish-brown markings, often appearing small and intricate among forest leaf litter. Growing as a mycoheterotrophic plant with no chlorophyll, it emerges with pale, translucent stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall that lack traditional leaves. Its flowers feature distinctive bracts that are often forked, with the lip of the flower gradually widening toward its tip, creating a delicate and complex structure. This unusual orchid grows entirely dependent on fungal relationships, emerging briefly to flower in the cool, dark understory of dense forest environments.
Habitat: Shaded mixed-evergreen or conifer forest, in decomposing leaf litter
Bloom period: Feb-Aug
Elevation: < 2800 m
Bioregions: NW, CaR, SN (exc Teh), SnFrB, SCoRO, SnGb, SnBr, PR, MP, W&I
California counties: Tulare, Marin, Santa Cruz, Monterey
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.