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- Corallorhiza
- Corallorhiza trifida
Corallorhiza trifida — early coral-root
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Facts
Early coral-root has a circumpolar distribution. It is a saprophyte, which means it obtains most of its nutrients from decaying organic matter through a parasitic relationship with a fungal mycelium, although it does contain chlorophyll and performs some photosynthesis. This species is mostly self-pollinating, its pollinia typically falling onto the stigma rather than becoming attached to an insect visitor.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forests, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf arrangement
- there are no apparent leaves except on the reproductive stems
- Number of leaves on stem
- absent
- Form of lower petal
- the labellum does not have a pouch-like shape
- Lower petal outline
- the labellum is lobed but not fringed
- Main color of lower petal
- white
- Nectar spur
- there are no nectar spurs on the flower
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a raceme (a long unbranched stem with stalked flowers growing along it)
- Lower petal characteristics
- the labellum is lobed
- Lower petal length
- 2.5–4 mm
- Sepal length
- 3.5–7 mm
-
Flowers
- Flower petal color
-
- brown
- green
- purple
- yellow
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Flowering date
-
- July
- June
- May
- Flowers per inflorescence
- 2–20
- Form of lower petal
- the labellum does not have a pouch-like shape
- Hairs on flower stalk
- the flower stalk has no hairs on it
- Hairs on inflorescence axis
- the main stem of the inflorescence is hairless
- Inflorescence length
- 20–80 mm
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a raceme (a long unbranched stem with stalked flowers growing along it)
- Inflorescence width
- 10–30 mm
- Labellum position
- the labellum is in the lower position on the flower
- Lobes at base of lower petal
- 0 mm
- Lower petal characteristics
- the labellum is lobed
- Lower petal length
- 2.5–4 mm
- Lower petal outline
- the labellum is lobed but not fringed
- Lower petal strongly red-veined
- no
- Main color of lower petal
- white
- Nectar spur
- there are no nectar spurs on the flower
- Nectar spur length
- 0 mm
- Number of stamens
- 1
- Orientation of side petals
-
- the lateral petals are angled steeply upwards
- the lateral petals slant outward
- the lateral petals slant somewhat downward
- Pollen sacs
- the pollinia remain intact and do not fragment into smaller parts
- Self-pollinating flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on this plant
- Sepal length
- 3.5–7 mm
- Spots on lower petal
- yes
- Spur opening membrane
- NA
- Spur opening shape
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Fruit length
- 4.5–15 mm
- Fruit width
- 4.3–6 mm
- Seed capsule orientation
- the capsule bends downwards or hangs downwards
-
Growth form
- Plant green or not
-
- the plant is achlorophyllous (it has no green parts)
- the plant is chlorophyllous (it has green parts)
- Roots
- the rhizomes are branched and resemble coral
- Underground organs
- this plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Bract relative length
- the bract is shorter than the associated flower
- Features of leaves
-
- NA
- the leaf does not have any of the mentioned special features
- Leaf arrangement
- there are no apparent leaves except on the reproductive stems
- Leaf blade edges
- NA
- Leaf blade length
- 0 mm
- Leaf blade shape
- NA
- Leaf blade tip
- NA
- Leaf blade width
- 0 mm
- Leaves during flowering
- NA
- Number of bracts on stem
- 2–5
- Number of leaves on stem
- absent
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of wetlands
- forests
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- swamps
Wetland status
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- rare (S-rank: S2), special concern (code: SC)
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4)
- New Hampshire
- uncommon (S-rank: S3), W (code: W)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), concern (code: C)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
3. Corallorhiza trifida Chatelain N
early coral-root. Corallorhiza trifida Chatelain var. verna (Nutt.) Fern. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Wet-mesic to hydric forests, under a variety of canopies but often with some component of evergreen trees.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Corallorhiza maculata:
- labellum mostly 4-9 mm long and white and usually spotted with red-purple, nectary spur present, and stems commonly purple to brown (vs. C. trifida, with the labellum mostly 2-3.3 mm long and white, nectary spur absent, and stems commonly yellow-green).
- Corallorhiza odontorhiza:
- upper petals and sepals +/- connivent to form a galea-like structure, labellum without lateral lobes, and plants mostly flowering in late August through late September (vs. C. trifida, with the upper petals and sepals not closely positioned to form a galea-like structure, labellum with a lateral lobe or tooth on each side, and plants flowering in mid-May through mid-June).
Synonyms
- Corallorhiza trifida var. verna (Nutt.) Fern.