[Coral Roots: The Genus Corallorhiza in the Cascade Mountain Range of Oregon and Washington]
Merten's Coralroot, Merten's Coral Root, Pacific Coralroot, Western Coralroot
Corallorhiza mertensiana
Synonyms: Corallorhiza maculata ssp. mertensiana, Corallorhiza purpurea
A gold-colored form of merten's coralroot from dark woods along the Butte Camp Trail #238A, Mount Saint Helens National Monument.........June 9, 2015.
Photo at right of Merten's coralroot from South Prairie RD, Gifford Pinchot
N.F........June 30, 1990.
Characteristics:
Merten's coralroot is a small flowered orchid which grows to 18 inches tall.
The plant is reddish in color, although it may be a somewhat tannish color at
times. The flowers number up to 30, and may be well spaced to crowded on the
upper stem. The sepals are from 8 to 10 mm long, 12 to 15 mm wide, and narrowly
oblong to narrowly oblanceolate in shape. The lateral pair of sepals join below
to form a rounded, saccate spur 1 to 3 mm long.
The petals are slightly broader than the sepals and roughly equal in size. The lower petal is deep pink to red with three main veins which may be yellowish to dark red.
Corallorhiza mertensiana may be identified from Corallorhiza maculata by its generally deeper red, unspotted lip, and by the more-pronounced spur.
Habitat:
Merten's coralroot is found in moist, coniferous forests.
Range:
Merten's coralroot is found from southern Alaska to southeastern British
Columbia and eastward to Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. It is found southward
to the Columbia Gorge and south to northwestern California.
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Merten's coralroot as seen in coniferous forest near timberline along the Butte Camp Trail, Mount Saint Helens National Monument..........July 9, 2013.
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A gold-colored form of merten's coralroot from dark woods along the Butte Camp Trail #238A, Mount Saint Helens National Monument.........June 9, 2015.
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Merten's coralroot blooming along the Soda Peaks Lake Trail #133 about one-half mile south of the trailhead, Trapper Creek Wilderness.......July 8, 2018.
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Merten's coralroot blooming along the Cone Peak Trail #3408, Willamette National Forest......July 17, 2023.
Merten's coralroot as seen along the Pacific Crest Trail #2000 about one mile uphill from the Barlow Pass trailhead, Mount Hood National Forest.........July 19, 2014.
Photo above of Merten's coralroot from near the Whitewater Trail Trailhead,
Mt Jefferson Wilderness.........June 19, 1992.
Photo above of Merten's coralroot from the Columbia Wilderness, near Wahtum
Lake...........7-10-94.
Paul Slichter