450 



PYROLACE.E. 



[Hypogynous Exogkns. 



Order CLXVI. PYROLACE^.— Wintergreens. 



Pyroleae, Lindl. Coll. Bot. t 



5 (1821). — Pyrolacese, Ed. 

 Prodr. 7.580. 



i"- 



clxiv. (1836) ; Endl. Gen. p. 760. DC. 



DiAGSOSis.-UWcaZ Exogens, with half monopetalous flowers, the stamens free <md all 

 perfect, loose-sUnned seeds, and an embryo at the base of the albumen. 



Herbaceous plants, rarely under-shrubs. Stems round, naked ; in the frutescent 



Heibaceous plants, y toothed. Flowers in terminal racemes, or 



specks leafy. Leaves "-"PjJ^ Sepals 5, persistent, inferior. Corolla slightly 



monopetalous, hypogynous, regular, deciduous, 4- or 5- 

 parted, with an imbricated aestivation. Stamens hypogy- 

 nous, twice as numerous as the divisions of the corolla, 

 those opposite the petals sometimes without anthers ; 

 anthers 2-celled, opening by pores. Ovary superior, 4- or 

 5-celled, many-seeded, with an hypogynous disk ; style 1, 

 declinate ; stigma slightly indusiate. Fruit capsular, 4- or 

 5-celled, dehiscent, with central placentae. Seeds indefinite, 

 , minute, with a loose winged skin ; embryo minute, at the 

 base of a fleshy albumen, placed across the principal axis ot 

 the exterior skin. . 



Wintergreens are usually considered a portion ot the 

 Order of Heathworts, but then- habit is so different, 

 that I cannot hesitate to separate them, especially as 

 their minute embryo and declinate styles are real marks 

 of difference. Cladothamnus fruticosus forms a passage to 

 Heathworts, and Pyrola aphylla to Fir-rapes. An approach 

 to the indusiate stigma of Goodemads occurs m that ot 

 P. aphylla and some others. 



Natives of Europe, North America, and the northern 

 parts of Asia, in Fir woods, or similar situations. _ _ 



Chimaplhla umbellata is a most active diuretic ; it is also 

 found to possess valuable tonic properties. The leaves, 

 which are bitter-sweet, applied to the skin, act as slight 

 vesicatories. C. maculata, a very closely allied species, is 

 asserted by some American practitioners to be wholly inert. 

 It is said to be a palliative in strangury and nephritis, and 

 to alleviate the ardor urinas. It appears to possess a narco- 

 tic action. But this is contrary to the statement of Pursh, 

 who says it has active properties ; and therefore Wood and 

 Bache are of opinion that it probably possesses the same 

 qualities as Chimaphila umbellata. Pyrola rotundifoha 

 had once a great reputation as a vulnerary. 



Fig. CCCX1I. 



Ciadnthamnus, Bunp. 



Tolmicea, Hook. 

 Chimaphila, Pursh. 



Chimaza, R. Br. 



Pseva, Kaf 



GENERA. 



Shortia, Torr et Gr. Galax, Linn. 



Pyrola, Toiirnef. Krylhrorhtza, L. U 



llonuet, s.iiisb. Rich. 



Brpophthalmum, E. Solenandria, Palis. 

 Mey. | 



Numbers. Gen. 5. Sp. 20. 



Bland.fordia, Andr. 

 Viticella, Mich. 

 Belvedera, Gronov. 



Position. — Monotropacese. 



Gentianacece. 

 — Pyrolacea..— Jyrancoacere. 

 Orobanchaceae. 



JMSdftSBS«S;AaSA-JSiAfiS. , AS-" , 



(M. Planchon is of opinion that the undoubted affinity of Sarraceniads, p. 429, « 

 here. See London Town. Bot. v. 253.) 





