Spotted Coral Root is quite common in island fir forests but because of its dark, slender shape it often remains unnoticed by the casual observer.
In May the plants grow to their full stature very quickly and seem to appear out of nothing like a magician’s rabbit.
In addition to its peculiar shape the Coral Root is wholly devoid of chlorophyl and depends on other plants to produce its food.
In the orchid family, the flowers grow in whorls around the stem and when looked at closely you can see the resemblance of the tiny blossoms to conventional orchids.
Used for generations as a sweating agent to bring down the body temperature of persons with a high fever.
Closely resembles Stripped Coral Root which is somewhat less common on the island and has dark stripes on its flowers rather than spots.
This plant was photographed on Lummi Mountain on May 15th.
Dal Neitzil