STUDIES OF PLANT LIFE 
the kindly influence of the transient sunbeams of early 
spring, the deep glossy-green shoots of the hardy Pyrola 
peep forth, not timidly, as if afraid to meet 
“The snow and blinding sleet ;” 
not shrinking from the chilling blast that too often nips 
the fair promise of April and May, but boldly and cheer- 
fully braving the worst that the capricious season has in 
store for such early risers. 
All bright and fresh and glossy, our Wintergreens come 
forth as though they had been perfecting their toilet within 
the sheltering canopy of their snowy chambers to do honor 
to the new-born year, just awakening from her icy sleep. 
P. elliptica forms extensive beds in the forest, the roots 
creeping with running subterranean shoots, which send up 
clusters of evergreen leaves, slightly waved and scalloped 
at the edges, of a deep glossy green and thin in texture. 
The name Pyrola is derived from a fancied likeness in the 
foliage to that of the pear, but this is not very obvious; 
nevertheless we will not cavil at it, for it is a pretty 
sounding word, far better than many a one that has been 
bestowed upon our showy wild flowers in compliment to the 
person who first brought them into notice. 
The pale greenish-white flowers of our Pyrola form a tall 
terminal raceme; the five round petals are hollow; each 
blossom set on a slender pedicel, at the base of which is a 
small pointed bract; the anthers are of a reddish orange 
color, the stamens ascending in a cluster, while the long 
style is declined, forming a figure somewhat like the letter J. 
The seed vessel is ribbed, berry-shaped, slightly flattened 
and turbinate; when dry, the light chaffy seeds escape 
through valves at the sides. The dry style in this, and most 
of the genus, remains persistent on the capsule. 
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