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Hexalectrisspicata (Walter) Barnhart. Crested Coralroot, Brunetta. Phen: Apr-Aug. Hab: Dry forests and woodlands, especially over mafic or calcareous rocks, such as diabase, gabbro, calcareous siltstone, and dolomite (though sometimes in distinctly acid situations), shell middens. Dist: MD, OH, and MO south to s. FL, w. and s. TX, and ne. Mexico. McAvoy (2021) documents the species' modern occurrence in e. MD.
ID notes:The yellow-orange and purple flowers borne on a brown stem present a very peculiar and distinctive color combination.
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Horticultural Information
Intro:Erect perennial of dry forests and woodlands, especially over mafic or calcareous rocks (diabase, gabbro, calcareous siltstone, and dolomite), though sometimes in distinctly acidic situations as well.
Stems:Stem unbranched, leafless, flesh-colored to reddish-purple.
Leaves:Lacks leaves but there are a few purplish, sheathing bracts.
Inforescence:
Flowers:Flowers in a narrow, spike-like raceme; yellow to tan (or greenish) with purple stripes; about 1 in. wide; bilaterally symmetric; consisting of 5 similar-looking spreading, oblong-lance-shaped sepals and petals with recurved tips plus an ornate, downcurved lip-petal bearing 5-7 purple ridges (crests) and a wavy-edged tip.
Fruits:
Comments:A myco-heterotroph: lacks chlorophyll and utilizes fungi to obtain carbon from the roots of other plants.
Height:1-2 1/2 ft.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description:Erect perennial of dry forests and woodlands, especially over mafic or calcareous rocks (diabase, gabbro, calcareous siltstone, and dolomite), though sometimes in distinctly acidic situations as well.
stems:Stem unbranched, leafless, flesh-colored to reddish-purple.
leaves:Lacks leaves but there are a few purplish, sheathing bracts.
inflorescence:
flowers:Flowers in a narrow, spike-like raceme; yellow to tan (or greenish) with purple stripes; about 1 in. wide; bilaterally symmetric; consisting of 5 similar-looking spreading, oblong-lance-shaped sepals and petals with recurved tips plus an ornate, downcurved lip-petal bearing 5-7 purple ridges (crests) and a wavy-edged tip.
fruits:
comments:A myco-heterotroph: lacks chlorophyll and utilizes fungi to obtain carbon from the roots of other plants.
