About Corallorhiza striata Lindl.
Like other coralroot orchids, Corallorhiza striata Lindl. gets its name from its coral-shaped rhizomes. It grows an erect stem between 15 to 50 cm (6 to 20 inches) tall, and this stem can be colored red, pink, purple, yellow-green, or nearly white. Its leaves do not contain chlorophyll, and are reduced to colorless scales that wrap around the stem. This plant also lacks true roots, and gets all of its nutrients by parasitizing host fungi. The top of the stem holds a raceme inflorescence with 15 to 25 orchid flowers. Each flower has an open arrangement of sepals and similarly shaped petals, which can be pink or yellowish and marked with darker pink or maroon stripes. Inside the flower sits a column created by the fusion of the plant’s male and female reproductive parts, and this column may be dotted with purple or red spots. The fruit produced by the plant is a dry capsule that measures one to two centimeters long.
