Corallorhiza maculata in the Gabriola woods
A month ago they puzzled me: lipstick-like shoots of some plant, popping up all over the place in the Gabriola woods. I’ve been watching them grow ever since, curious to see what they would become. And now I know! They are Corallorhiza maculata, also known as spotted coralroot. They’re starting to flower now, and it’s worth getting down on your hands and knees to see the tiny orchid-style blossoms.
Wikipedia has photos and details:
Corallorhiza maculata, or spotted coralroot, is a North American coralroot orchid flower. Varieties are also known as western coralroot and summer coralroot. It is found from Mexico to Canada, mostly in woodlands. This orchid is a myco-heterotroph; it lacks chlorophyll and gets food by parasitizing the mycelium of fungi in the family Russulaceae. The rhizome and lower stem are often knotted into branched coral shapes. The stem is usually red or brown in color, but occasionally comes in a light yellow or cream color. There are no leaves and no photosynthetic green tissues. The stalklike stems bear dark red scales and intricate orchid flowers. The flowers are small and emerge regularly from all sides of the stem. The sepals are dark red or brown tinged with purple, long and pointed. The side petals are reddish, and the lip petal is bright clean white with deep red spots. It is usually lobed or toothed on the side and 7–10 mm. In some varieties, the lip is plain white without spots.
Want to see some? Go explore around the parking area at the Huxley Park tennis courts. (Across the street from the Gabriola Professional Centre.) The spotted coralroot plants are between the car parking area and the chain-link fence.
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