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arctic wintergreen, large-flower wintergreen, pyrole à grandes fleurs

Habit Plants rhizomatous, 0.5–1.9(–2.5) dm.
Leaves

petiole 10–65(–80) mm, channeled adaxially, glabrous;

blade not or, sometimes, maculate, dull and light green to purplish abaxially, shiny and dark green, sometimes with white tissue bordering larger veins adaxially, ovate to elliptic or round to subreniform, 9–33(–45) × 10–50 mm, coriaceous, base truncate to rounded or cordate, margins subentire to crenate or crenate-serrulate, apex rounded to acute.

Inflorescences

1 per stem, 4–12-flowered;

peduncular bracts absent or 1–3, ovate-lanceolate to ovate, 6–12 × (2–)3–5 mm, chartaceous or membranous, margins entire;

inflorescence bracts ovate-lanceolate to ovate, longer than subtended pedicels, 4.5–10 × 1.8–3.4 mm, chartaceous.

Pedicels

3–8 mm.

Flowers

calyx lobes appressed or spreading in fruit, green, pinkish, or reddish with margins hyaline to white or pinkish, oblong-ovate to lanceolate, (2.2–)2.8–6 × (0.9–)1.2–2 mm, margins entire or erose-denticulate, apices obtuse to rounded;

petals white, often suffused with pink, obovate to round, 6–10(–11) × 4.2–6 mm, margins entire or erose-denticulate, especially distally;

stamens 4–7.5 mm;

filament base 0.2–0.3 mm wide;

anthers 1.6–3 mm, apiculations absent or less than 0.1 mm, thecae creamy yellow to golden yellow, tubules yellow to yellowish brown, 0.1–0.3 mm, scarcely narrowed above thecae, lateral walls touching for most of their lengths, pores 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.2 mm;

ovary smooth;

style scarcely exserted, 4.5–8 mm;

stigma 0.7–1.1 mm wide, lobes erect.

Capsules

depressed-globose, 2.9–4 × 3.8–6 mm.

2n

= 46, 69.

Pyrola grandiflora

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Arctic and alpine tundra, heathlands, coniferous forests, boreal forests and woodlands
Elevation 10-2000 m (0-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AB; BC; LB; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

A. E. Porsild (1939) recognized three varieties in Pyrola grandiflora (var. canadensis, var. gormanii, and var. grandiflora) differing subtly in leaf and floral morphology, floral fragrance, and habitat. Variation among these taxa appears to be essentially continuous. E. Haber (1972) referred them to synonymy [under P. rotundifolia subsp. grandiflora (Radius) Andres] without discussion. Hybrids between P. grandiflora and P. minor have been reported from western Greenland; they were discussed by T. W. Böcher (1961).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 382.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Monotropoideae > Pyrola
Sibling taxa
P. americana, P. asarifolia, P. chlorantha, P. elliptica, P. minor, P. picta
Synonyms P. grandiflora var. canadensis, P. grandiflora var. gormanii
Name authority Radius: Pyrola & Chimaphila, 27, plate 3, fig. 2. (1821)
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