Corallorhiza odontorhiza facts for kids
Corallorhiza odontorhiza, often called the Fall Coral-root or Small-flowered Coral-root, is a special kind of orchid. You can find this plant growing across the eastern and central parts of the United States. It also lives in Mexico, Central America, and parts of Canada like Quebec and Ontario. It likes to grow in forests, sometimes very high up, even at elevations of 2800 meters (about 9300 feet).
Quick facts for kids Corallorhiza odontorhiza |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Corallorhiza
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| Species: |
odontorhiza
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Unlike most plants, the Fall Coral-root does not make its own food using sunlight. This is because it has no chlorophyll, which is the green stuff in plants that helps them do photosynthesis. Instead, this orchid gets its food from fungi in the soil. It's like the fungi share their nutrients with the plant!
The stems of the Fall Coral-root are usually yellow to brown and look a bit swollen at the bottom. This plant does not have any leaves. Its flowers are often reddish-purple with a white part called a "lip." This lip usually has small purple spots. Some of these plants have flowers that never fully open, which is a special way they can reproduce. You can usually see these orchids flowering from August to October in the eastern United States.
Different Types of Fall Coral-root
Scientists have found a few different types of the Fall Coral-root. These types are slightly different depending on where they grow:
- One type, Corallorhiza odontorhiza var. odontorhiza, is found in Quebec, Ontario, and across the eastern and central United States.
- Another type, Corallorhiza odontorhiza var. pringlei, grows in Mexico, Central America, Ontario, and the eastern United States.
- A third type, Corallorhiza odontorhiza f. radia, is found in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
Images for kids
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Corallorhiza odontorhiza var. odontorhiza, most flowers are closed in this variation
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