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PYROLA MEDIA. INTERMEDIATE WINTER-
GREEN.
PYROLA media, floribus racemosis undique spectantibus; staminibus ajqualiter curvatis, pistillo lon-
giore, recto.
PYROLA media. Swartz in Act. Holm. an. 1784. p . 263. t. 7. Winch Bot. Guide, ml. 2 . p . 19.
Engl. Bot. t. 1945. Hull Brit. FI. ed. 2. p . 312. Withering Bot. Arr. ed. 5. ml. 2.
| | 492.
Class an d Ord er. DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
[NaTURAL Ord er . ERICACEiE, f Ovarium liberum, Decand- ERICAS, Juss. BICORNES, Vent. Linn.'j
Gen . Cha r. Cal. quinquepartitus. Petala quinque. Caps. supera quinquelocularis, angulis dehiscens, poly-
sperma. Antherce poris duobus. Sm.
Radix perennis, subrepens, fibrosa, superne squamosa.
Caulis perbrevis.
Folia radicalia, petiolata, rotunda, quandoque ovata,
subacuminata, nervosa, rigidiuscula, læte vi-
, rentia.
Scapus solitarius, foliis multo longior, spithamæus et
ultra, erectus, striatus, spiraTiter tortus, fusco-vi-
ridis, squama solitaria vel bractea oblongo-lan-
. ■ ceolata convoluta instructus.
Flores terminales, distantes, in racemum congesti,
, laxi, undique spectantes, cernui.
Pedunculi floribus subæquales, longi, basi' bracteati.
Calyx persistons, quinquefidus, segmentis acutis.
Corolla ventricosa, alba, apice rosea, pentapetala, pe-
talis conniventibus, nunquam patulis.
Stamina decern, corolla breviora. Filamenta flava,
compressa, omnia æqualiter incurva. Antheræ
oblongo-quadratoe, quadrisulcatæ, biloculares,
poris duobus extremitate déhiscentes, ore minime
producto.
Ovarium subrotundum, quinquelobum. Stylus persis-
tens, capsulæ maturæ longitudinem subæquans,
rectus, apice incrassatus, truncatus, stigmate mi-
nuto qüinque-lobo coronatus.
Pericarpium : Capsula et semina omnino ut in P . ro-
tundifolia jamdudum descripta.
Fig. 1 . Stamen, showing the pores uppermost. Fig
persistent calyx and style. Fig. 4. Seeds, natural size.
but fig. 4 . more or less magnified.
Root perennial, somewhat creeping, fibrous, squamose
upwards.
Stem very short.
L eaves radical, petiolate, round or sometimes ovate,
subacuminate, nerved, somewhat rigid, deep
Scape solitary, much longer than the leaves, a span
high or more, erect, striate, spirally twisted,
brownish green, here and there beset with a solitary
oblong-lanceolate convolute scale or bractea.
Flowers terminal, distant but collected into a raceme,
lax, pointing to all sides, nodding. *
Peduncles of an equal length with the flowers, brac-
teate at the base.
Calyx persistent, quinquefid, with the segments acute.
Corolla ventricose, white, rose-coloured at the apex,,
composed of five petals that are connivent and
, never spreading.
Stamens ten, shorter than the corolla. Filaments yellow,
compressed, all equally incurved. Anthers
oblongo-quadrate, with four furrows, bilocular,
opening at the extremity with two pores, whose
mouth is not at all produced.
Ovary, somewhat round, five-lobed. Style persistent,
nearly equalling the length of the ripe capsule,
straight, thickened at the apex, where it is truncate
and crowned with the minute five-lobed
P e r ica rp : Capsule and seeds altogether as in P . ro-
tundifolia already described.
2. Ovarium and style. Fig. 3. Ripe capsule with the
Fig. 5. One of the same. Fig. 6. The embryo.— All
Sir James Smith appears to rest the whole specific difference between Pyrola media and P . rosea upon the circumstance
of the stalk being twisted and the style curved downward in one, whilst the other has both the stalk and
style straight. The curvature of the style is certainly not constant, for we do not find it in any of our specimens.
The twisted scape appears to be a less variable mark; but we know not if it may be considered of sufficient value;
and we think a more decided character is discoverable in the proportionate length of the styles and the figure of the
stigma. The former are in our plant full as long as the mature capsule, and upon its incrassated truncated extremity
is placed the minute stigma resembling five small tubercles; whereas in P . rosea the style is very short, not
half the length of the capsule; and the stigma, which is large, peltate, and at the margin five-lobed, appears nearly
sessilfe. -
How far the Pyrola minor of the continental botanists may be distinct from P . rosea we are not able at present
to satisfy ourselves. What we have received from France appeal’s to differ only in the more compact raceme, and
of this we possess no British specimens; but we have gathered it in Iceland. The P . minor of English Botany
seems to be quite another plant, with the peduncles erect and the flowers spreading.
It is very probable that the foreign botanists, if they possess our plant at all, have confounded it with P . minor -
for their character in general corresponds with both. In our country too we have received specimens of it under
the name of minor. It seems to have been first distinguished by Mr. "Winch, whose specimens were compared
with authentic ones from Dr. Swartz. They were found “ in Scots-wood Dean, three miles west of Newcastle;
m East-common wood, near Hexham, Northumberland; in some woods four miles north of Walsingham, Durham;
and at Studley, Yorkshire; flowering towards the end of June*.” We have gathered it in woods near Forries, belonging
to the earl o f Murray, in Murrayshire; and living plants were last summer brought by Mr. W. Malcolm
irom Scotland, from one of which the annexed plate was made.
* English Botany.
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