About Corallorhiza mertensiana Bong.
Corallorhiza mertensiana Bong. is a leafless, parasitic, perennial orchid that reaches 6 to 20 inches in height. Its stem ranges in color from red to brownish purple. Upper petals are pink to reddish pink, marked with veins that run from yellow to dark red. Lower petals are wider, colored dark pink to red, and feature three deep red veins. A prominent spur grows beneath the lower petal. Its flower spikes are visible from May through August. This species has no true roots; it only produces hard, branched rhizomes that resemble coral. Corallorhiza mertensiana grows in shady coniferous forests at low to mid-elevations. It prefers damp, humus-rich soil that receives dappled sunlight. It occurs in the Cascade Range from Alaska to California, and in the Rocky Mountains from Alberta to Wyoming. A 1923 plant survey of Glacier Bay, Alaska reported Corallorhiza mertensiana growing beneath Alnus tenuifolia thickets, alongside Petasites frigida, Aspidium, and Polystichum. In British Columbia, it has been found growing in association with Gaultheria shallon, Hylocomium splendens, and Rhytidiadelphus loreus.
