Corallorhiza mertensiana

Western or Merten's coralroot

Photographed WA, USA, 15 July 2000  

Negative number 00k32

The height of this orchid is 4 to 24 inches (10 to 60 cm) the labellum is typically about 8 mm long. This mycotrophic species produces no leaves, but has stems which are usually brown, red or purple. It is usually found in pinewoods where colonies can be huge, sometimes with hundreds of flowering stems in a single clump, and many clumps in a local area. Single flowering spikes can also be found as can clumps of yellowish white specimens. It is found from California to the Alaskan border on the Western side of N America.