224 MONOTROPE^ 



style bent down, and curved upwards at the end, much longer than the 

 ascending stamens; perennial. In the variety arenaria, which has smaller 

 leaves, the flower-stalk has scaly bracts throughout its whole length, whilst 

 in the typical forms these bracts are few in number. The species of 

 Winter-green are often very difficult of discrimination, but this, which has 

 far larger flowers than the others, is also marked by the length of its style, 

 which exceeds that of the stamens and petals. This and the next species 

 have the style ornamented by a ring below the stigma-lobes. The blossoms, 

 which expand from July to September, are rather numerous, white, and 

 spreading. At Guernsey this plant grows near the sea, among the reeds and 

 damp woods ; and bushy places and reedy marshes are the places of its 

 growth ; but it is very rare in this country. The plant has slightly astringent 

 properties, and some other species of the genus, as P. umbellata, afford an 

 excellent tonic medicine. These plants share with the pretty little Trientdlis 

 the name of Winter-green, and this has its synonym in various European 

 countries. The French call the plant Pyrole ; the Germans, JVinter-griln ; 

 the Dutch, Winter-groen ; the Spaniards and Italians term it Pirola. It is the 

 Vintergrdn of the Danes, and the Griischa dikaja of the Russians. 



2. Intermediate Winter-green (P. mSdia). — ^Leaves nearly round, or 

 roundish oval, with slightly rounded notches ; flowers in racemes ; stamens 

 erect, shorter than the straight style, which protrudes a little beyond the 

 flower. The flowers, which expand in July and August, are numerous, and 

 either of snowy -white hue or delicately tinged with rose-colour. They are 

 neither so large as those of the round-leaved species, nor so fully expanded. 

 The plant occurs in woods in the north of this kingdom, as at Keswick in 

 Cumberland, and in some of the woods of Northumberland and York ; but 

 it is not a frequent flower in England, and not general in Scotland, though 

 perhaps less rare than either of the other species. 



3. Lesser Winter-green (P. minor). — Leaves roundish oval, notched at 

 the margin ; flowers in racemes ; stamens erect, as long as the very short, 

 straight style which is included within the corolla ; stigma large and 

 rayed ; perennial. This species is at once distinguished from the last by its 

 short and included style, and it is altogether a smaller plant. The flowers 

 never seem quite to expand ; they are on very short, partial stalks, numerous, 

 and of pale rose-colour, appearing in June and July. The leaves, too, are 

 numerous. It grows in woods and thickets, chiefly in the north of England 

 and Scotland, and is a common plant in the Highlands. It is more generally 

 distributed than either of the foregoing species. 



4. Serrated Winter-green (P. secunda). — Leaves egg-shaped, serrated; 

 flowers racemed, all leaning one way ; stamens bending, and about as long 

 as the long, straight, much protruded style ; perennial. This species 

 occurs, though rarely, in the north of England, in mossy woods, and is by 

 no means unfrequent in the fir-woods of Scotland, especially in the High- 

 lands. The greenish-white flowers are small and oblong, almost closed, and 

 droop on their little stalk in July. The stems are straggling and branched, 

 and the leaves numeroTis. Sir J. D. Hooker found a Pyrola in the 

 fir-woods of the Himalaya, blossoming among potentillas and purple 

 ^yrimroses. 



