PenderBlog From The Pender Islands Of Canada

photos: Jocko
Have you seen this unusual plant growing in undisturbed shady forested understory on Pender. I ran across it today and think it must be one of our native orchids. The individual flowers, although tiny (barely more than 1/4 in wide) are orchid-like. I guess the deer don’t like it, as there were several of them browsing nearby and these plants were untouched. A bit of checking, and I think it must be Spotted Coralroot or Corallorhiza maculata, an orchid parasitic on decaying plant material, with the help of a soil fungus. No chlorophyll, therefore deep shade is not a problem. Yet another surprise find on the island!