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Project Noah Nature School
Corallorhiza striata
This orchid is a mycoheterotroph, getting its nutrients from nearby trees via a mycorrhizal (fungal) intermediary rather than through photosynthesis.
Mixed conifer forest, mostly douglas firs and white pines.
More information on mycoheterotrophy can be found here: http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/Mycot.... The fungi associated with this plant are almost always Tomentella sp. according to a study in Am. Journal of Botany (2010). The paper abstract is here: http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/387....
Spotted on Jul 1, 2008
Submitted on Oct 13, 2011
7 Comments
Beautiful series and an interesting orchid
Thank you Alice.
Really interesting Orchid series!
I'm glad to see the orchid aficionados like my spotting. Thanks guys!
:) This really floats my boat! What a cracking mycoheterotroph! Thanks for this Kristal & for the links too
Thanks Dan!
Awesome spotting! Great photos too!