PYROLA UNIFLORA. SINGLE-FLOWERED WINTERGREEN.
PYROLA uniflora ; scapo unifloro, foliis orbiculatis crenulatis.
PYROLA uniflora. Linn. Sp. P l. p. 568. (Ed. FI. Dan. t. 8. Hoffm. Germ. ed. 2. ml. 1. P . I.
p. iso . . With. Bot. Arr. ed.A. ml. 2. p. 392. Engl. Bot. t. 517. Pursh FI. N . Am.
ml. l .p . 299. Wahl. Lapp. p. 110. Smith FI. Brit. p. 446. Wild. Sp. PI. ml. 2. p. 622.
Decand. FI. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 3. p. 685. FI. Gall. Syn. p. 250. Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2.
ml. 3. p. 59. Pers. Syn. PL ml. 1. p. 483. Hook. Fl. Scot. P . I. p. 127.
PYROLA scapo unifloro. Hall. Helv. n. 1011.
Class and Ord er. DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
[Natural Ord e r . MONOTROPEÆ, Nutt., Hook. ERICACEÆ, Decand. ERICEÆ, Juts.]
Ge n . Char. Calyx quinquepartitus. Petala quinque. Capsula supers, quinquelocularis, angulis dehiscens,
polysperma. Anther ce poris duobus* Stn.
G en . Char. Calyx five-partite. Petals five. Capsule superior, five-celled, opening at the angles, many-seeded.
Anthers with two pores. Sm.
Radix perennis, quandoque subrepens, gracilis, filifor-
mis, hie illic fibrosa.
Caulis nunc fere nullus, nunc subunciam longus, erec-
tus, flexuosus, foliosus, squamosus, squamis con-
cavis, fuscis.
Folia alterna,, erecta, vel erecto-patentia, fere orbicu-
laria, venosa, glabra, coriacea, margine crenü-
lata.
Scapus terminalis, solitarius, erectus, flexuosus, triun-
cialis, unibracteatus, bractea ovata, eoncava,
nunc versus basin nunc paulo infra apicem
scapi.
F los solitarius, majusculus, fragrans.
Calyx quinque-partitus, segmentis ovatis, concavis, fus-
co-viridibus.
Corolla pentapetala, petalis ovato-fotundatis, con-
cavis, obscure venosis, albis, extus nonnunquam
roseo-tinctis, horizontaliter patentibus. .
Stamina decern, insertione solitaria, bina vel terna, petalis
opposita. Filamenta compressa, basi di-
latata, apice^incurva. Antheræ oblongæ, pen-
dentes, biloculares, basi bicornes, porisqne déhiscentes.
P istillom : Germen subrotundaturn, quinquelobum.
Stylus crassiusculus. Stigma lobis vel radiis
quinqqé erectiuscülis.
Capsula quinquelocularis, loculis ad angulos dehis-
centibus : receptaculis quinque centralibus, qui-
bus semina inserta.
Root perennial, often somewhat creeping, slender, filiform,
here and there fibrous.
Stem sometimes almost none, at other times nearly an
inch long, erect, flexuose, 'leafy, scaly, with the
scales concave, brown.
L eaves alternate, erect, of erecto-patent, almost orbicular,
veined, glabrous, coriaceous, crenulated at
the margin.
Scape terminal, solitary, erect, flexuose, three inches
long, bearing one ovate, concave bractea, sometimes
a t the base, sometimes" a little below the
a,pex of the scape,
Flower solitary, rather large, fragrant.
Calyx five-partite, with the segments ovate, concave,
brownish-green.
Corolla of five petals, which are ovato-rotundate,
concave, obscurelv veined, white, externally
sometimes tinged with rose-colour, horizontally
patent.
Stamens ten, inserted singly, or two. or three together,
opposite to the petals. Filaments compressed,
dilated at the base, incurved at the extremity.
Anthers oblong, pendent, two-celled, at the base
furnished with two horns, opening with pores.
PISTIL: Germen roundish, five-lobed. Style thickish.
Stigma with five erect rays or lobes.
Capsule five-celled, with the cells opening at the angles
; with five central receptacles in which the
seeds are inserted.
Fig. 1. Plant (nat. size). Fig. 2. Cluster of three stamens. Fig. 3. Single stamen seen on one side. Fig. 4.
Back view of an anther, with a portion of the filament. Fig. 5. Pistil. Fig. 6. Section of a young capsule,
showing the insertion of the seeds.— A ll more or less magnijied.
Whatever may be the difficulty of determining the essential characters of P . major, media, and minor,, there is
none with respect to the present species. It is a beautiful little plant, and one of very great rarity. I t was long supposed
to be peculiar to a wood belonging to Brodie House near Forres, where it was iound by Mr. Brodie himself,
as well as by Mr. Hoy of Gordon Castle. That wood has been destroyed, and together with it the little fragrant
Pyrola. In 1824, however, it was discovered plentifully in the woods at Scoone*, by Mr. Bishop; and from specimens
there gathered, our figures have been made. It is abundant in Switzerland and Germany, and in the subarctic
regions of North America, where it has been gathered by Dr. Richardson.
• Since the above was written, I am informed that Sir George Mackenzie, Bart., of Coul, in Ross-shire, has found the Pyrola unifloro plentifully
in woo s upon us es s ^