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Home/Species/ Autumn Coralroot

Corallorhiza odontorhiza

(Willd.) Nutt.

Autumn Coralroot

G5Secure Found in 18 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.160229
Element CodePMORC0M030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
CITESAppendix II
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderOrchidales
FamilyOrchidaceae
GenusCorallorhiza
Other Common Names
autumn coralroot (EN) Corallorhize d'automne (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Taxonomic Comments
Can be distinguished from C. wisteriana by flowering time (summer /fall vs spring for C. wisteriana) and bulbous white stem base (vs oblong in C. wisteriana). Flora of Florida is not doubling 'r' in genus name (fide R. Wunderlin). Kartesz (1999) now recognizes C. odontorhiza var. pringlei. Spelling of genus name with one 'r' (Corallorhiza) has been conserved; see Taxon 48(2):363 (May, 1999) for more information (pers. comm. John Kartesz, Aug. 1999).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-05-07
Change Date1984-02-29
Edition Date2024-05-07
Edition AuthorsJohnson, A. F. (1995), rev. Soteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Corallorhiza odontorhiza is a wide-ranging perennial herb in woodlands throughout eastern and central North America from Ontario and Quebec in Canada south to Florida west to New Mexico in the United States and south into Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Additional research into varietal designations is warranted. Threats include development, logging, recreation, deer browse, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Corallorhiza odontorhiza occurs throughout eastern and central North America from Ontario and Quebec in Canada south to Florida west to New Mexico in the United States and south into Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Varieties have varying levels of geographic overlap and taxonomic acceptance (see accounts and research needs).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 1,200 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by development, logging, recreation, deer browse, invasive species, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Corallorhiza odontorhiza grows in mesic to dry "rich deciduous woods, mixed woods, and conifer plantations," especially under oaks (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - Mixed
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OklahomaS1Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
North CarolinaS3Yes
TexasSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
New YorkS4Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
MassachusettsS3Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
IllinoisS3Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
GeorgiaS3Yes
Rhode IslandS1Yes
DelawareS1Yes
VermontS2Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
WisconsinS3Yes
MarylandSNRYes
MaineS1Yes
IndianaS5Yes
FloridaS1Yes
AlabamaS2Yes
LouisianaS1Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
IowaS3Yes
KansasSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
ConnecticutS4Yes
MissouriSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
NebraskaS1Yes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
MississippiS3Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
CanadaN3
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS3Yes
QuebecSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.2.2 - Named speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (18)
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Joe GapChattahoochee National Forest5,321
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bay CreekShawnee National Forest120
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
North Carolina (6)
AreaForestAcres
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Dobson KnobPisgah National Forest6,111
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Tennessee (5)
AreaForestAcres
Big Laurel Branch AdditionCherokee National Forest5,577
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
References (9)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  5. Luer, C. A. 1972. The native orchids of Florida. New York Botanical Garden, New York. 293 pp.
  6. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  8. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2023. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.
  9. Wunderlin, Richard P. (Dr.) Dept. of Biology, University of So. Florida, Tampa, FL.