46 PYROLA UMBELLATA. 
By Pursh and some other American botanists, 
this species and one other have been separated 
from the genus Pyrola, to constitute a new family 
by the name of Chimaphila. As the grounds of 
distinction, however, between them are not suffi- 
cient to render it certain that this genus will ul- 
timately stand; I have preferred retaining the 
original Linnean name.* 
* It is somewhat remarkable, that the genus Chimaphila was first 
established upon characters, which hardly exist in either of the plants 
it is intended to comprehend. ‘The principal grounds of distinction, 
suggested by Michaux and adopted by Pursh, seem to consist in a 
sessile stigma, and anthers opening by a subbivalve foramen. Now 
the stigma is not sessile, since that term implies the absence of a style, 
and the anthers do not open by any subbivalve foramen, differing 
from the rest, but by two tubular pores, precisely as in the other spe- 
cies of Pyrola. Mr. Nuttall, in his interesting work on North Ameri- 
can genera, has amended the character of Chimaphila, by bringing 
into view the calyx, filaments, &c. while he has added to the char- 
acteristics of Pyrola, a duwny connexion of the valves of the cap- 
sule. In the calyx, however, the two species of Chimaphila are at 
different extremes from each other ; one of them having a five leaved 
calyx, the leaves overlaying each other at base; the other having a 
re toothed calyx only, while the remaining species of Pyrola, being 
five parted, come between them. I have not been able to find the 
tomentum spoken of by ere in all the spiked species, and par- 
ticularly in P. secunda. 
If the genus Pyrola were ever to be dismembered, it should be 
- into at least four distinct genera, as follows ; 
1, Style declined, stigma annulate. 
P. rotundifolia, P. asarifolia, &c. 
