coral root

Other forms: coral roots

Definitions of coral root

1. noun

   a wildflower of the genus Corallorhiza growing from a hard mass of rhizomes associated with a fungus that aids in absorbing nutrients from the forest floor
   types:

   Corallorhiza maculata, spotted coral root

   common coral root having yellowish- or reddish- or purplish-brown leafless stems bearing loose racemes of similarly colored flowers with white purple-spotted lips; Guatemala to Canada

   Corallorhiza striata, striped coral root

   nearly leafless wildflower with erect reddish-purple stems bearing racemes of pale pinkish and brownish-striped flowers; western Canada to Mexico

   Corallorhiza trifida, early coral root, pale coral root

   plant having clumps of nearly leafless pale yellowish to greenish stems bearing similarly colored flowers with white lower lips; northern New Mexico north through South Dakota and Washington to Alaska

   type of:

   orchid, orchidaceous plant

   any of numerous plants of the orchid family usually having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colors