378 LXXVIII. ERICACE^. Pyrola. 



affixed to the axillary placentae, usually conformed to the smoothish 

 or shining testa. — European^ or chiejiy South African shrubs^ branch- 

 ing^ mostly brittle. Lvs. linear^ ace rose, margin revoluie, verticillate, 

 rarely alternate. Fls. axillary, solitary, verticillate, or terminal, corym- 

 bose or capitate, mostly nodding. Cor. of the cyanic series, from pur'ple 

 through red to white, very rarely orange or yellow. 



O&s.— Of this vast and beautiful genus, 429 species are described by Mr. Bentham in the Prodromus of 

 DC, Part vii., pp. 613—693. All these species have been cultivated in Europe, and many in this country, 

 but their successful culture is attended with more care than that of most other plants, and they have 

 never as yet received general attention. To describe so few species as the limits of this work would 

 permit, where so many are rarely and none generally met with, would be of little satisfaction to the 

 student 



Suborder 3.— P Y R O L E iE . 



Ovary free from the calyx. Petals nearly distinct. Fruit a capsule. 



Mostly herbaceous. 



17. PYROLA. Salisb. 



Lat. diminutive from Pyrus; as the leaves (of P. elliptica) resemble those of the pear-tree. 



Calyx 5-parted ; pet. 5, equal; sta. 10; anth. large, pendulous, 

 fixed by the apex, 2-horned at base, opening by 2 pores at top ; sty. 

 thick ; stig. 5-rayed, 5-tubercled at apex ; caps. 5-celled, 5-valved, 

 opening at the angles, many-seeded. — Low, scarcely suffruticose, ever- 

 green herbs. Lvs. radical or nearly so, entire. Scape mostly racemose. 

 § 1. Stamens ascending. Style declinate, longer than the petals. 



1. P. ROTUNDiFOLiA. Rouud-leaved Pyrola. 



Lvs. orbicular-ovate, entire or crenulate, shorter than the dilated petiole ; 

 scape 3-angled ; segments of the cat. lanceolate, acute ; stig. clavate, obscurely 5- 

 toothed. — Common in woods, Can. to Car. W. to Wise. Leaves all radical, 

 round or inclining to ovate, nearly 2' in diameter, smooth and shining, with 

 conspicuous, reticulate veins. Petioles margined, as long as, and sometimes 

 much longer than, the leaf. Scape 6 — 12' high, bracteate at base and in the 

 middle. Flowers drooping, large, fragrant, white, in an oblong, terminal raceme. 



2. P. ASARiFOLiA, Michx. Asarum-leaved Pyrola. 



Lvs. reniform-orbicular, coriaceous, entire or crenulate, shorter than the 

 dilated petiole; scape angular, furrowed; rac. lax, many-flowered; segments of 

 the cat. ovate, acute, appressed; stig. clavate, with the disk elongated and 5- 

 lobed. — In old woods, Can. and N. States. Leaves all radical, \\ — If diam., 

 smooth and shining, conspicuously cordate at base, longer than, but not twice 

 as long as, the margined petioles. Scape 5 — 10' high, purplish, bracteate at 

 base and near the middle, racemose one half its length. Flowers nodding, re- 

 mote, large, deeply tinged with purple in all their parts. Style of about the 

 same length and curvature as pedicel. June. 



3. P. CHLORANTHA. Swartz. Green-flov:ered Pyrola. 



Lvs. orbicular, crenulate, half as long as the narrow petiole ; rac. few- 

 flowered ; segments of the cal. very short, obtuse ; pet. oblong ; pores of the anth. 

 tubular; stig. clavate, with the disk elongated, and 5-lobed. — In woods, Can. 

 and N. States, common. Leaves smaller than in either of the preceding species, 

 often perfectly orbicular, but more frequently inclining to ovate, ^ — 1' diam., 

 smooth, shining, coriaceous. Petioles 1 — 2' long. Scapes erect, angular, 8 — 12' 

 high, bearing a long, open raceme. Flowers nodding, large, remote, pedicels J' 

 long, each in the axil of a very short bract. Petals greenish-white. Anther 

 tubes conspicuous. June, July. 



4. P. ELLiPTicA. Nutt. Pear-leaved Wintergreen. 



Lvs. elliptical, membranaceous, obscurely dentate, longer than the peti- 

 oles; scape mostly naked; cal. small, with ovate, obtuse segments; pores of the 

 anth. short, tubular. — In woods, Can. and N. States to Wise. Leaves 1 — 2' 

 long, more than half as wide, mostly acute and subentire, thin, .smooth and light 



