About Corallorhiza maculata Raf.
Corallorhiza maculata Raf. is a myco-heterotroph that lacks chlorophyll, and instead gets its energy by parasitizing the mycelium of fungi from the Russulaceae family. Its rhizome and lower stem are often knotted into branched shapes that resemble coral. The stem is most commonly red or brown, though it can occasionally appear light yellow or cream. This species has no leaves and no green photosynthetic tissues. Stems carry dark red scales and complex, characteristic orchid flowers. The flowers of Corallorhiza maculata are small, and emerge in an even arrangement around all sides of the stem. Its sepals are dark red or brown with purple tints, and are long and pointed. The side petals are reddish, while the lip petal is bright clean white marked with deep red spots. The lip petal is usually scalloped along its edges, and measures 7–10 mm (9⁄32–13⁄32 in) long. Some varieties of this species have a plain white lip petal with no spots. Historically, several Native American groups dried the stems of this orchid and brewed them into a tea to treat conditions including colds, pneumonia, and skin irritation. Corallorhiza maculata is also the subject of Robert Frost's poem On Going Unnoticed.
