I went hiking yesterday in search of
C. maculata (Spotted Coralroot).
C. maculata lacks leaves (or any chlorophyll) and is a mycoheterotroph, which means it relies on fungi to obtain nutrients.
I set out at around 11 at a local hiking spot, but I couldn't find any native orchids (lots of invasive
Epipactis helleborine, though).
After an hour, I gave up and decided to try a different spot. Still didn't find anything, but on the way back, I noticed a broken maroon stem with what looked like a desiccated inflorescence next to it just on the edge of the trail. Decided to go a bit off trail, and just a few yards away, I finally spotted a lone specimen. Further uphill, I found a plant with no spots on its lip, along with a couple of plants that were done flowering, which was pretty interesting, too.
normal spotted form:
immaculate form:
seed pods:
blasted buds (probably due to a recent heatwave):
All of the plants were found growing in soil that had a pretty thick upper horizon consisting of decaying organic material (my shoes sank a couple inches into the soil on every step). I'm not sure why I didn't find any in the other location – maybe I didn't look hard enough, or maybe it was the wrong type of forest.
I hope I don't sound too childish – it was just a really exciting find.
PS: it's a bit hard to tell how large the plants are from the photos, but the inflorescences are about 8-10 inches tall.
Corallorhiza maculata
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