and the fruit has 3 spines upon it. Stem long and slender, floating,
with whorled leaves in eights ; flowers axillary, solitary, very
minute ; found in ditches in Europe, and in similar places in
Nantucket; July.
2. JVLonopetalous Plants.
We come now to a subdivision of the plants of this class, which
is artificial, and yet v.ery important in ascertaining the plants, and
easily distinguishing them. The corolla is monopetalous, or the
supposed divisions of the petals cohere into a tube. Only a few
of the polypetalous corollas cohere at the base so as to be monopetalous,
and form exceptions to this arrangement.
ORDER 173. PYROLACEiE. T he W in t er -G reen
T r ib e .
Calyx 5-leafed, inferior, and persistent, with an hypogynous
corolla of one petal, regular, 4 or 5-toothed ; stamens bypogy-
nous, double the number of the divisions of the corolla ; ovary
superior, 4 or 5-celled, many-seeded ; style one, often declined
towards one side ; stems round, scaly ; flowers in terminal racemes,
seldom solitary.
The plants love the woods, and abound in the northern temperate
zone.
The species of this order seem to have no very distinguishing
properties.
P vrola. L. 10. 1. Winter Green.
A name considered as a diminutive of Pyrus, and the common
name, from many of the species being evergreen. Astringent and
tonic. The plants, though not very handsome, are singular and
interesting ; 7 species are found in the State, and about 12 in
North America. Calyx minute, 5-cleft, or 5-parted ; capsule
5-celled, and stigma 5-lobed.
P. rotundifolia. L. Shin Leaf. A native of open woods
in a light soil, bearing 2 or 3 roundish leaves at the base, and the
flowers near the summit of a stalk near a foot high ; flowers in
July. The leaves are in popular use as a dressing for sores on
the legs, as having one side drawing, and the other healing.
P. secunda. L. One-sided Winter Green. Much smaller,
and with flowers more 1-sided, but much like the preceding ;
grows in w'oods also ; July.
P. maculata. L. Spotted Winter Green. A handsome
plant, with variegated leaves ; woods ; July ; resembles the
following.
P. umbellata. L, Prince’s Pine. In some sections of the
country, this plant is known by the Indian name Pipsissawa, or
Sipsissewa. A handsome evergreen, and, from the brightness of
its leaves in the snows, has been called Chimaphila, or lover of
ivinter.
Stem scarcely a foot high, with thick, leathery, wedge-form
leaves along the lower half of the stem, the upper half ending in
a few large, greenish-white, and purplish flowers, in a nodding corymb
; blossoms in July. Medicinal. Bigelow’s “ Medical
Botany.” ■ A decoction of the plant has been supposed to be a
remedy for cancer.
P . uniflora. L. Has a solitary white flower on a small short
stem, with roundish leaves ; blossoms in July ; found near Salem,
by Mr. Oakes, who has so successfully examined the botany of
New England, and especially of this State. It is a native of
Britain also, and said, by Sir J . E. Smith, to be “ one of the
most curious and elegant of British flowers.” Loudon.
P. asarifolia, Mx. Resembles P. rotundifolia, but distinguished
from all the species by its large, leathery, reniform leaves.
P. elliptica. Nutt. Seems to approach very near to P. rotundifolia,
but possibly to be distinguished by its white and odorous
flowers and rather elliptic leaves j July ; dry woods.