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The
photo at right shows a striped coral root growing from the leaf litter below Oregon
white oaks as seen at Catherine Creek in the Columbia River Gorge..........April
2003.
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The
photo at right shows a striped coral root growing from the leaf litter below Oregon
white oaks as seen at Catherine Creek in the Columbia River Gorge..........April
2003.
The striped coral root is a striking and attractive perennial wildflower when seen in nature. The stout flower scapes are flesh colored to red-purple tinged and from 15-40 cm high. Three to four lighter colored sheathing scales are found on the scape (See photo at right.).
From 7-30 flowers are found in a spike up to 20 cm long atop the scape. Individual flowers are flesh-colored or light pink with 3-4 narrow, longitudinal, reddish-brown or purple stripes. The oblong-lanceolate sepals range from 10-17 mm long and from 2-4 mm wide. The lateral pair of sepals are not joined and thus a spur is lacking. The petals are shorter but wider than the sepals, measuring up to 6-8 mm wide. The lip is broadly oblong-elliptic, measuring 8-15 mm long and 6-8 mm wide. Its margins are not lobed, bujt are upturned and thickened.
The striped coral root may be found in shady coniferous to deciduous forests.
The striped coral root may be found from British Columbia south to Sierran California and east to Quebec or as far east as Michigan. In the Rocky Mts it can be found south through Utah and New Mexico and into northern Mexico.
