Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Cressler, Alan

Corallorhiza mertensiana

Corallorhiza mertensiana Bong.

Pacific Coralroot

Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)

Synonym(s): Corallorhiza maculata ssp. mertensiana, Corallorrhiza maculata ssp. mertensiana, Corallorrhiza mertensiana

USDA Symbol: COME17

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N)

Most orchids (this one included) of genus Corallorhiza are achlorophyllous and are mycoheterotrophic; that is, they utilize fungi to parasitize the roots of other plants. Corallorhiza mertensiana utilizes three species of ectomycorrhizal fungi in the genus, Russula for this purpose.

From the Image Gallery

10 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Yellow , Purple
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AK , CA , ID , MT , OR , WA , WY
Canada: BC

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Corallorhiza mertensiana in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Corallorhiza mertensiana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Corallorhiza mertensiana

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-24
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back