274 PYROLACEAE. 



374. PYROLA. 



Low and smooth perennial herbs; leaves roundish, petioled, 

 evergreen, basal or nearly so; flowers nodding, in a simple raceme, 

 on a more or less scaly-bracted scape; corolla of 5 concave more 

 or less converging petals; stamens 10; ovary 4- or 5-celled; ovules 

 very numerous; fruit a flattened globose 5-lobed 5-celled capsule. 



Style straight. P. secunda. 



Style curved downward. 



Green leaves none, or very rudimentary. 



Flowers red. P. aphylla. 



Flowers white. P. dentata. 



Green leaves present. 



Calyx lobes obtuse, very short; flowers greenish. P. chlorantha. 



Calyx lobes acute. 



Flowers white or whitish. 



Veins of leaves white-bordered. P. picta. 



Veins of leaves not white-bordered. P. dentata. 



Flowers red or pink. 



Leaves coriaceous, shiny, acute. P. bracteata. 



Leaves thin, dull, obtuse. P. elata. 



Pyrola secunda L. Rootstocks slender, usually much branched; stems 

 erect or ascending; leaves somewhat clustered at the base, ovate, obtuse or 

 acute, crenate, 1-3 cm. long, on slender petioles 1 cm. long; scapes 10-25 cm. 

 high, with few scale-like bracts, which also occur between the leaves; raceme 

 one-sided, 3-8 cm. long; flowers white, on short pedicels, soon nodding; corolla 

 regular; petals oblong, 4 mm. long, each with a pair of tubercles at base; 

 anthers obtuse; stigmas large, 5-lobed. 



Deep coniferous woods, especially in the mountains. 



Pyrola aphylla Smith. Stems 20-40 cm. high, erect, the whole plant red 

 or very rarely with one or two small green leaves; rootstock stout, scaly, 

 branched; leaves reduced to lanceolate or subulate bracts; raceme loose, 10-30- 

 flowered; calyx-lobes ovate, acute; petals obovate, pink; anthers beaked; 

 style nearly straight, declined. 



In coniferous woods. The rare form with small green leaves has been 

 called P. aphylla paucifolia Howell. 



Pyrola chlorantha Sw. Leaves orbicular, often retuse, thick, not shiny, 

 small, mostly 2-3 cm. long, shorter than the petioles; scapes 10-20 cm. high, 

 bractless or with solitary bracts; raceme 3-10-flowered; petals greenish-white, 

 rounded; calyx-lobes very short and obtuse; anthers beaked. 



In deep coniferous woods. 



Pyrola picta Smith. Rootstocks creeping; leaves tufted at base, oblong, 

 ovate or orbicular, obtuse or acute, mucronate, obscurely denticulate or entire, 

 green, variegated with white along the veins, often purple beneath, 2-6 cm. 

 long; petioles margined, 1-3 cm. long; scapes erect, 15-30 cm. high, with few 

 bracts, 10-20-flowered; calyx-lobes short, ovate, about one-fourth as long as 

 the petals; corolla irregular; petals white, 6-7 mm. long; anthers constricted 

 at the apex; style deflexed, with a projecting collar at the base of the stigma. 



Open coniferous woods, common. 



Pyrola dentata Smith. Loosely tufted; leaf blades mostly oblong to ob- 

 lanceolate, remotely dentate to subentire, obtuse or acute, dull green or glau- 

 cous, not mottled, 26 cm. long, tapering at base into petioles nearly as long; 

 scapes 10-25 cm. high, naked or with 1-3 scales; raceme 5- 15 -flowered; bracts 



