Appearance
Inflorescences: floral bracts averaging 1–2.8 mm, often forked. Flowers: middle lobe of lip distinctly expanded, ratio of width of dilated part to base of middle lobe greater than than 1.5; column curved, 3.5–7.8 × 1–1.3 mm at stigma; stigmatic surface oblong-pentagonal, 0.8 × 1.3 mm.Naming
Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis (Lindley) Ames, Enum. Orchids U.S. & Canada. 22. 1924.Corallorhiza multiflora Nuttall var. occidentalis Lindley, Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl., 534. 1840
Corallorhiza grab-hamii Cockerell
Corallorhiza leimbachiana Suksdorf
Corallorhiza maculata subsp. occidentalis (Lindley) Cockerell
Corallorhiza maculata var. fusca H. H. Bartlett
Corallorhiza maculata var. immaculata M. Peck
Corallorhiza maculata var. intermedia Farwell
Corallorhizamaculata var. punicea Bartlett
Corallorhiza multiflora var. flavida Peck
Distribution
St. Pierre and Miquelon (variety unconfirmed); Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask.; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Conn., Idaho, Ill., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Nebr, Nev., N.H., N.Mex., N.Y., Oreg., Pa., S.Dak., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., Wis., Wyo.Behavior
Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis and other Corallorhiza are myco-heterotrophs parasitic upon fungi which supply them with the carbon compounds they need.Habitat
Coniferous and mixed woods, and conifer plantationsReproduction
By seeds.Evolution
This variety and C. m. var. maculata occur in Minnesota and other states as well. Also, var. maculata is yellowish and blooms about a month after var. occidentalis.References:
Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242102227https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/western-spotted-coralroot
https://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Corallorhiza+maculata+var.+occidentalis
Jonathan R Leake. Plants parasitic on fungi: Unearthing the fungi in myco-heterotrophs and debunking the 'saprophytic' plant myth. Mycologist 19(3):113-122. August 2005. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222571975_Plants_parasitic_on_fungi_Unearthing_the_fungi_in_myco-heterotrophs_and_debunking_the_'saprophytic'_plant_myth