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