Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata)

Orchids, for me, are always associated with the steamy heat and humidity of the tropics. Thus I am surprised to find that we have over 40 different kinds of orchids growing wild here in British Columbia. Perhaps one reason we often don't notice them is that they are relatively small compared to the orchids we see in florists and supermarkets. However, I am beginning to discover that though small, our local orchids are no less beautiful and interesting. Here is one I came across in the Bear Hill Regional Park in Saanich, just outside Victoria. It is the Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata). This strange and beautiful little plant has no leaves or chlorophyll and gets its food from the mycelium of a kind of mushroom through its coral-like root structure.