Corallorhiza, the coralroot orchids, is a genus of flowers in the orchid

Orchidaceae

The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...

 family. Most species are leafless, relying entirely upon symbiotic fungi within their coral

Coral

Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...

-shaped roots for sustenance. Because of this dependence on myco-heterotrophy

Myco-heterotrophy

Myco-heterotrophy is a symbiotic relationship between certain kinds of plants and fungi, in which the plant gets all or part of its food from parasitism upon fungi rather than from photosynthesis. A myco-heterotroph is the parasitic plant partner in this relationship...

 within their mycorrhizae, they cannot be successfully cultivated.

Most species do not produce chlorophyll

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from the Greek words χλωρος, chloros and φύλλον, phyllon . Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to obtain energy from light...

, and do not depend on photosynthesis

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...

 for energy. An exception is the yellowish green species Corallorhiza trifida

Corallorhiza trifida

Corallorhiza trifida, commonly known as early coralroot, northern coralroot, or yellow coralroot, is a coralroot orchid native to North America and Eurasia, with a circumboreal distribution.-Description:...

, which has some chlorophyll and is only partially dependent on its fungal associates for nutrition.

Except for the circumboreal C. trifida, the genus is restricted to the New World

New World

The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...

.

List of species

Corallorhiza anandae Corallorhiza arizonica Corallorhiza arizonica Corallorhiza bentleyi Corallorhiza bigelovii Corallorhiza bigelovii Corallorhiza bulbosa Corallorhiza corallorrhiza

Corallorhiza ekmanii Corallorhiza macrantha Corallorhiza maculata Corallorhiza mertensiana Corallorhiza mertensiana Corallorhiza mertensiana, or Pacific coralroot, is a coralroot orchid flower native to the shady conifer forests of northwestern North America and northern California.-External links:**... Corallorhiza odontorhiza Corallorhiza striata Corallorhiza striata Corallorhiza striata is a species of orchid known by the common names striped coralroot and hooded coralroot. This flowering plant is native to much of North America, especially Canada and the northern and western United States... Corallorhiza trifida Corallorhiza trifida Corallorhiza trifida, commonly known as early coralroot, northern coralroot, or yellow coralroot, is a coralroot orchid native to North America and Eurasia, with a circumboreal distribution.-Description:... Corallorhiza wisteriana Corallorhiza wisteriana Spring coralroot — also called Arousing coralroot — is a species of coralroot orchid.-External links:*...