Corallorhiza bentleyi

In 1996, four plants were discovered at one site in West Virginia; in 1999, 27 mature individuals were recorded at this same site (Bentley 2000). In 2001, approximately 400 mature individuals were counted across the species known range (Bentley 2004). Although additional subpopulations of the orchid have been discovered, it is not yet possible to determine trends across the species range. As monitoring only recently began for this species, it is probable that increases in the number of individual plants counted to date is related to detection only, not actual changes in the number of orchids in the population. The range of Bentley’s Coralroot is restricted to only 12 to 13 known sites across two states in the United States (Bentley 2004, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation 2009). Thus, the species range is extremely limited and fragmented, making the orchid vulnerable to threats to subpopulations. The ability of orchids, generally, to disperse beyond their site of habitation is limited.