Description

General - a perennial, without leaves; stems slender and pale yellowish, from short, branched coral-like roots.

Leaves - none; thin sheaths envelop bottom of the stem.

Flowers - 3 to 15 flowers in a loose cluster at stem tip; individual flowers about 1 cm long, yellowish-white to greenish or even purple, 6 floral parts with a white lobed lip (occasionally spotted with purple); appearing early summer.

Fruit -a drooping elliptic capsule about 1 cm long, with 1200 to 1500 tiny seeds; developing mid-summer.

Habitat

Infrequent but widespread; in shaded forest habitats, in thickets, fens, swamps and on streambanks; especially on fresh/moist mineral soils.

Notes

Corallorhiza maculata (Spotted Coralroot) is larger than this species with a noticably spotted or purplish lip.

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