Corallorhiza odontorhiza (Willd.) Poir.
Autumn Coral Root
Facts About
Accepted Synonyms: Neottia odontorhiza
Corallorhiza odontorhiza, commonly called Fall Coral Root, is widely distributed across eastern and central Canada and the United States, from Quebec to Texas. Like other members of its genus, it is myco-heterotrophic: it primarily obtains nutrients not from photosynthesis but through mycorrhizal fungi. It stays underground until the fall, when it produces a yellow, greenish, or purplish brown stem, with the base of the stem swollen into a bulb-like structure. It produces up to 26 small, reddish purple, brown, or greenish flowers, with a white labellum often spotted with purple. The flowers can be either chasmogamous or cleistogamous; cleistogamous is the most common form. It grows in a wide variety of forested upland areas.
Corallorhiza odontorhiza is globally considered to be secure, but is rare in several northern and western states. It can be distinguished from C. maculata by its later blooming period and undivided labellum.
Pollination
Individuals of this orchid may have flowers that are either closed and self-pollinating (cleistogamous) or open (chasmogamous). No pollinators have been identified for these open flowers, although in exclusion experiments seed set was very low for chasmogamous plants, leading researchers to believe these flowers are dependent on pollinators.
Notes on Subspecies and Varieties
Corallorhiza odontorhiza has two varieties: Corallorhiza odontorhiza var. odontorhiza is widely distributed across the eastern U.S.and generally has a closed perianth.
Corallorhiza odontorhiza var. pringlei is limited to some populations in the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes states and generally has an open perianth.
Ecosystem Type
Forests, woodlands
Characteristics
- Habitat:
- terrestrial
- Leaf arrangement:
- this plant has no leaves
- Number of leaves on stem:
- absent
- Form of the labellum:
- the labellum is not pouch-like
- Labellum outline:
- the labellum is simple
- Main color of labellum:
- white
- Nectar spur:
- absent
- Inflorescence type:
- the inflorescence is a raceme
- Labellum characteristics:
- the labellum is simple
- Labellum length:
- 2.7–4.6 mm
- Sepal length:
- 3–4.5 mm
- Plant height:
- 2–46 cm
-
Flowers
- Floral bract length:
- 1–2.5 mm
- Flower petal color:
-
- brown
- green
- purple
- red
- Flower symmetry:
- the flower is zygomorphic
- Flowering date:
-
- August
- September
- October
- Flowers per inflorescence:
- 5–26
- Form of the labellum:
- the labellum is not pouch-like
- Hairs on flower stalk:
- the pedicel is hairless
- Hairs on inflorescence axis:
- the inflorescence stem is hairless
- Inflorescence length:
- 30–60 mm
- Inflorescence type:
- the inflorescence is a raceme
- Inflorescence width:
- 10–25 mm
- Labellum characteristics:
- the labellum is simple
- Labellum length:
- 2.7–4.6 mm
- Labellum outline:
- the labellum is simple
- Labellum position:
- the flowers are resupinate
- Length of flower stalk:
- Up to 4 mm
- Lower petal strongly red-veined:
- no
- Main color of labellum:
- white
- Nectar spur:
- absent
- Number of stamens:
- 1
- Orientation of side petals:
- the lateral petals are ascending
- Pollen sacs:
- the pollinia remain intact and do not fragment into smaller parts
- Self-pollinating flowers:
- there are cleistogamous flowers
- Sepal length:
- 3–4.5 mm
- Sepals fused only to sepals:
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spots on labellum:
- yes
-
Fruits or seeds
- Fruit length:
- 5.5–8 mm
- Fruit width:
- 3.5–5 mm
- Seed capsule orientation:
- the capsule bends downwards
-
Growth form
- Plant height:
- 2–46 cm
- Roots:
- the rhizomes are coralloid
- Underground organs:
- this plant has a rhizome
- myco-heterotrophic or not:
- the plant is achlorophyllous
-
Leaves
- Bract relative length:
- the bract is shorter than the associated flower
- Leaf arrangement:
- this plant has no leaves
- Number of leaves on stem:
- absent
-
Place
- Ecosystem type:
-
- forests
- woodlands
- Habitat:
- terrestrial
- Location:
-
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Ontario
- Pennsylvania
- Quebec
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
-
Facts and Uses
- Mycorrhiza
- Monitoring
- Propagation
- Restoration
Native to North America
Yes
North American Conservation Status & Distribution
Conservation Status
Conservation and Wetland Status | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Conservation status for: Alabama | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Alabama Rank | N/A |
Alabama Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Arkansas | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Arkansas Rank | N/A |
Arkansas Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Connecticut | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Connecticut Rank | N/A |
Connecticut Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: District of Columbia | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
District of Columbia Rank | N/A |
District of Columbia Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Delaware | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Delaware Rank | Highly State Rare |
Delaware Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Florida | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Florida Rank | Highly State Rare |
Florida Status | Endangered |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Georgia | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Georgia Rank | Watch List |
Georgia Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Iowa | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Iowa Rank | Watch List |
Iowa Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Illinois | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Illinois Rank | Watch List |
Illinois Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Indiana | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Indiana Rank | N/A |
Indiana Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Kansas | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Kansas Rank | N/A |
Kansas Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Kentucky | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Kentucky Rank | Apparently Secure |
Kentucky Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Louisiana | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Louisiana Rank | Highly State Rare |
Louisiana Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Massachusetts | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Massachusetts Rank | N/A |
Massachusetts Status | Species of Concern |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Maryland | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Maryland Rank | N/A |
Maryland Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Maine | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Maine Rank | Highly State Rare |
Maine Status | Endangered |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Michigan | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Michigan Rank | N/A |
Michigan Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Minnesota | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Minnesota Rank | N/A |
Minnesota Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Missouri | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Missouri Rank | N/A |
Missouri Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Mississippi | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Mississippi Rank | N/A |
Mississippi Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: North Carolina | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
North Carolina Rank | Apparently Secure |
North Carolina Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Nebraska | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Nebraska Rank | Highly State Rare |
Nebraska Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: New Hampshire | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
New Hampshire Rank | Highly State Rare |
New Hampshire Status | Endangered |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: New Jersey | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
New Jersey Rank | N/A |
New Jersey Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: New York | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
New York Rank | N/A |
New York Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Ohio | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Ohio Rank | N/A |
Ohio Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Oklahoma | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Oklahoma Rank | Highly State Rare |
Oklahoma Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Ontario | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Ontario Rank | State Rare |
Ontario Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Pennsylvania | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Pennsylvania Rank | N/A |
Pennsylvania Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Quebec | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Quebec Rank | Highly State Rare |
Quebec Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Rhode Island | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Rhode Island Rank | N/A |
Rhode Island Status | Threatened |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: South Carolina | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
South Carolina Rank | N/A |
South Carolina Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: South Dakota | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
South Dakota Rank | N/A |
South Dakota Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Tennessee | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Tennessee Rank | N/A |
Tennessee Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: Texas | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Texas Rank | N/A |
Texas Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Virginia | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Virginia Rank | N/A |
Virginia Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Vermont | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Vermont Rank | State Rare |
Vermont Status | Threatened |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Wisconsin | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
Wisconsin Rank | Watch List |
Wisconsin Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | Upland |
Conservation status for: West Virginia | |
---|---|
Global Rank | Secure |
US Status | N/A |
West Virginia Rank | N/A |
West Virginia Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | May Be At Risk |
Wetland Status | N/A |