Stem ± strongly thickened, base not bulbous. Inflorescences: racemes lax to dense, 10-67 × 1.2-4.5 cm. Flowers 2-35, chasmogamous, conspicuous to showy; perianth open and spreading to connivent; sepals and petals salmon reddish purple with darker veins or pure yellow, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3-5-veined; lip obovate, unlobed, 3.2-16.5 × 2-6.2 mm, thickened, margins deep red with white or yellow at base, or pure yellow, upturned, giving boat-shaped appearance especially toward apex; callus formed by partial connation of 2 basal lamellae, less than 1/3 length of lip; column pure yellow or yellow spotted with red, curved toward lip, 3-6 mm, base without auricles or ridges; ovary 3-8.5 mm; mentum absent. Capsules ellipsoid, 11-30 × 5-10 mm.

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Strongly thickened stem to 10 mm in diameter, 20-60 cm tall, purplish or yellowish.

Leaves: Reduced to scales.

Flowers: Lax to dense raceme, with 3-35 flowers, conspicuous to showy, the perianth open, sepals and lateral petals 8-14 mm long, purplish brown, with purple veins, these lanceolate to oblanceolate, labellum unlobed, obovate 3-16 mm long 2-6 mm wide, with deep red margins and white or yellow at base, upturned, spur absent, the column pure yellow spotted with red, 3-6 mm.

Fruits: Ellipsoid capsule 11-30 mm long.

Ecology: Found on wooded slopes from 6,500-9,500 ft (1981-2896 m), flowers June-August.

Notes: Distinguished from C. maculata by its unlobed labellum, along with the absence of a spur.

Ethnobotany: Unknown

Etymology: Corallorhiza means coral root, while striata means striate.

Synonyms: None

Editor: SBuckley 2011

Stem 2-4.5 dm, rather stout, purple or magenta; infl 5-20 cm, with 7-25 fls; sep and lateral pet arching forward, lance-oblong, 8-15 mm, yellowish-white with 3-5 conspicuous longitudinal purple stripes, also purple-margined; lip declined, 8-12 mm, white, heavily striped with purple, or wholly purple. Woods; N.B. and s. Que. to B.C., s. Mich., Wis., Minn., N.D., and in the w. cordillera to Mex. May-July.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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