Species: Pyrola grandiflora Radius

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Pyrola grandiflora Radius

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Pyrolaceae

Genus:

Pyrola

Species Synonyms:

Pyrola borealis Rydb.
Pyrola canadensis Andres
Pyrola gormanii Rydb.
Pyrola grandiflora var. canadensis (Andres) Porsild
Pyrola grandiflora var. gormanii Rydb.
Pyrola occidentalis R. Br. ex D. Don

Common Names:

largeflowered wintergreen
arctic wintergreen

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

Yukon, Mackenzie District, Arctic Islands (including Baffin Island), south to northern British Columbia – southwestern and northeastern Alberta – northern Saskatchewan – northern Manitoba – northern Ontario – Ungava – Labrador – Newfoundland

Saskatchewan:

northern Saskatchewan; Lake Athabasca – Hasbala Lake

Ecoregion:

Tazin Lake Upland, Selwyn Lake Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

moist, mossy, mixed or spruce woods

Associated Species:

black spruce, paper birch

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Largeflowered wintergreen is threatened because of rarity in Saskatchewan. No threats are known or anticipated for this species at the present time.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

7 – 25 cm

Roots:

slender

Stems:

leafless; bracts one or more, dry and membranous, often brown

Leaves:

basal, long-stalked, blade shorter than to equalling stalks, 2 – 4 cm long, round, base rounded or square, leathery, shiny, margin nearly entire

Inflorescence:

unbranched, terminal

Flowers:

large; sepal lobes 3 – 4 mm long, oblong to elliptic, petal-like; petals 5 – 10 mm long, creamy white; anthers yellow; style long, somewhat curved at maturity, ring below stigma

Fruits:

capsule opening from the base upwards

PYROLA KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Style straight, short and included, lacking a ring below stigma	P. minor
1 Style curved, long and exserted, with ring below stigma	2

2 Petals pink or purplish	P. asarifolia ssp. asarifolia
2 Petals white or greenish	3

3 Sepals oblong to elliptic, longer than wide	P. grandiflora
3 Sepals more or less triangular, as wide as long	4

4 Leaves broadly elliptic to oblong, 3 – 7 cm long, blades longer than the stalks; petals whitish	P. elliptica
4 Leaves egg-shaped to rotund, 1 – 3 cm long, blades shorter than the stalks; petals greenish	P. chlorantha