Corallorhiza trifida : Northern Coralroot

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Monocoteldonae (one seed-leaf)

Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)

Genera: Corallorhiza (Coralroot) (Gk. Koralion=coral + rhiza=root, referring to the resemblance of the roots to coral.)

Species: trifida (Lat. tri=3 + findo=split, referring to the 3-lobed lower lip.)

English Name(s):

Northern Coralroot, Pale Coralroot, Yellow Coralroot, Early Coralroot

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Rhizome (underground stem) brittle and coral like.
• Plant is leafless.
• Stems erect, yellow, brown or pale green. 1.5 - 5.5 cm tall. With sheathes.

Leaves:

• None.

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers perfect (bisexual). Zygomorphic (biliteral symmetry).
• Petals 3 of which the side two are alike but are different from the lower one which is lip like.
• Sepals 3.
• Flowers in a few flowered raceme.
• Lower petal (lip) with or withour purple spots, broadly oval, with a pair of lobes at the base notched at the tip.
• Sepals and lateral petals similar, 4-5mm long, greenish yellow.

Seed:

• Fruit a three chambered capsule containing innumerable minute seeds.
• Capsule reflexed (bent downwards), 8-12mm long.
• Capsules contain 1200-1550 seeds each.

Not to Be Confused With:

Physiology:

• Herbacious.
• C.trifida unlike other Coralroots has some chlorophyll and can produce some of its own food.
• Cralorhiza species are saprophytic. They live in close relationship to soil fungi.

Life Cycle:

• Perennial.

Seasonal Cycle:

• Blooms in June.
• Stems are deciduous.

Animal Uses:

Habitat:

• Mainly on clacareous soils.
• Turfy open places and moist woods and thickets.

Modern:

Industrial:

• Like most saprophytic plants C. trifida (Northern Coralroot) cannot be cultivated.

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

• Plants were said to promote persperation without producing excitement in the system. This quality was used to reduce fever and act s a sedative.

Food: