Corallorhiza trifida

Chatelain

Early Coralroot

G5Secure Found in 81 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.141217
Element CodePMORC0M050
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
Synonyms
Corallorhiza trifida var. verna(Nutt.) Fern.
Other Common Names
Corallorhize trifide (FR) Pale Coralroot (EN)
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
Spelling of genus 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 AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Corallorhiza trifida is a wide-ranging perennial herb in woodlands with a circumboreal distribution, occurring in North America from Newfoundland west to Alaska and south to Virginia west to Illinois, Minnesota west to Wyoming and south to New Mexico and California; it is also distributed throughout much of Asia and Europe. Threats include development, logging, recreation, deer browse, beaver dams, 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 trifida has a circumboreal distribution, occurring in North America from Newfoundland west to Alaska and south to Virginia west to Illinois, Minnesota west to Wyoming and south to New Mexico and California; it is also distributed throughout much of Asia and Europe (FNA 2002).
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 4,900 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, beaver dams leading to flooding, 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 trifida grows in "coniferous, deciduous, and mixed woods, swamps, mountain woods, upland habitats northward, restricted to cool, moist habitats southward," which includes "bogs, peaty swamps, basic seepage swamps, black ash-hemlock and red spruce-hemlock swamps" (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - Mixed
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDBog/fen
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
LabradorS4Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
AlbertaS5Yes
Yukon TerritoryS5Yes
NunavutS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandS2Yes
New BrunswickS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New HampshireSNRYes
VirginiaS1Yes
New JerseyS1Yes
South DakotaS3Yes
North DakotaS3Yes
MontanaS4Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
IllinoisS1Yes
MichiganSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
AlaskaSNRYes
ConnecticutS2Yes
New YorkS4Yes
ColoradoS3Yes
IndianaSXYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
UtahSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
NevadaSNRYes
MarylandS1Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
WyomingS3Yes
VermontS4Yes
West VirginiaS1Yes
New MexicoSNRYes
OhioS1Yes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
Rhode IslandS1Yes
CaliforniaS1Yes
OregonS4Yes
Threat Assessments

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (81)
Alaska (14)
AreaForestAcres
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
Chilkat-West Lynn CanalTongass National Forest199,772
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Douglas IslandTongass National Forest28,065
Hoonah SoundTongass National Forest79,764
Johnson PassChugach National Forest152,508
Juneau UrbanTongass National Forest101,581
Juneau-Skagway IcefieldTongass National Forest1,187,268
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
ResurrectionChugach National Forest224,615
Roaded DonutChugach National Forest968
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
Idaho (3)
AreaForestAcres
Bighorn - WeitasNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest254,845
North Lochsa SlopeNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest117,662
West Meadow CreekNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest115,949
Minnesota (4)
AreaForestAcres
Baker - Homer - Brule LakesSuperior National Forest6,712
Brule Lake - Eagle MountainSuperior National Forest12,380
Phantom LakeSuperior National Forest6,521
Wood LakeSuperior National Forest596
Montana (25)
AreaForestAcres
Allan Mountain (01946)Bitterroot National Forest104,184
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLewis and Clark National Forest344,022
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLolo National Forest118,485
Big Snowy Mountains WsaLewis and Clark National Forest88,003
Bluff MountainLewis and Clark National Forest38,060
BridgerGallatin National Forest45,059
Buckhorn Ridge (MT)Kootenai National Forest34,716
Cabinet Face East #671Kootenai National Forest50,326
Crazy MountainGallatin National Forest82,093
Gallatin FringeGallatin National Forest51,571
HoodooLolo National Forest105,162
Hyalite - Porcupine - Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study AreaGallatin National Forest143,991
Lebeau #507Kootenai National Forest1,259
Lolo CreekLolo National Forest14,335
MadisonGallatin National Forest127,859
North AbsarokaGallatin National Forest159,075
North Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest52,227
North CarpBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest6,600
QuiggLolo National Forest67,267
SapphiresBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest66,619
Selway - Bitterroot (01067)Bitterroot National Forest114,953
Silver KingLolo National Forest12,816
Silver KingBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest64,289
Upper East ForkBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest8,905
West Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest133,563
Nevada (2)
AreaForestAcres
Jobs Peak (NV)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,342
Snake - MurphyHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest27,064
New Hampshire (2)
AreaForestAcres
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
New Mexico (4)
AreaForestAcres
Columbine - Hondo Wilderness Study AreaCarson National Forest43,739
Comales CanyonCarson National Forest4,389
PecosCarson National Forest13,436
Wheeler Peak WildernessCarson National Forest2,677
Oregon (6)
AreaForestAcres
Greenhorn Mtn.Umatilla National Forest11,191
Hurricane CreekWallowa-Whitman National Forest1,606
Maiden PeakDeschutes National Forest26,432
Maiden PeakWillamette National Forest9,627
Waldo - FujiWillamette National Forest15,273
Walla Walla RiverUmatilla National Forest34,416
Utah (5)
AreaForestAcres
0401014Ashley National Forest26,903
418040Uinta National Forest1,702
Mt. AireWasatch-Cache National Forest9,681
Twin PeaksWasatch-Cache National Forest6,157
White PineWasatch-Cache National Forest1,942
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Washington (6)
AreaForestAcres
Abercrombie - HooknoseColville National Forest33,862
Jackson CreekOkanogan National Forest7,791
Mt. Baker MaMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest24,847
Mt. Baker NorthMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest16,873
TaneumWenatchee National Forest26,140
Willow SpringsUmatilla National Forest10,414
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Wisconsin (2)
AreaForestAcres
09157 - Chase CreekChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest6,140
09181 - FoursectionChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest2,037
Wyoming (5)
AreaForestAcres
Little Sheep MountainBridger-Teton National Forest14,192
Middle ForkMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest13,238
Phillips RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest10,108
Platte River AdditionMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest7,962
Rock CreekMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest18,874
References (8)
  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. Minicuci, L. 2019. Corallorhiza trifida Rare Plant Profile. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry, New Jersey Forest Service, Office of Natural Lands Management, New Jersey Natural Heritage Program, Trenton, NJ. 11 pp. [<a href="https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/docs/corallorhiza-trifida-early-coral-root.pdf">https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/docs/corallorhiza-trifida-early-coral-root.pdf</a>]
  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.