Greenish-flowered Pyrola

(Pyrola chlorantha)

 

   

 

 

Color Drawing: Wolcott, M.V. 1925. North American Wild Flowers. Smithsonian Institution.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Greenish-flowered Pyrola (Pyrola chlorantha Sw.)

Identification: Flowers greenish-white, relatively large for the genus with 5 petals. Flowers arranged in a terminal spike with the flowers arranged spirally around the flower stalk. Flower stalk long, without leaves, arising from a basal rosette of leaves. Leaves dark green, rounded, with a petiole usually longer than the body of the leaf. Plant 4 to 12 inches in height.

Distribution: Across Canada and southward in the east to Maryland and Illinois. Species also occurs along the Rocky Mountains to Arizona. Also native to Europe.

Habitat: Greenish-flowered Pyrola is found in coniferous forest.

Flowering period: June to July.

Similar Species:  Greenish-flowered Pyrola is most likely to be confused with Lesser Pyrola. Lesser Pyrola has whiter or pinker flowers and the flowers are relatively smaller. The spike of One-sided Pyrola has the flowers concentrated on one side of the flower stem.

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