Pyrola americana — American shinleaf, American wintergreen

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Bulbils

  the plant does not appear to have bulbils

  Bulblets replace flowers

  there are no bulblets where the flowers are located

• Flowers

  Anther attachment

  the anther is attached by its base to the filament

  Anther color

  the anthers show no hint of a pink, reddish or purplish tint

  Anther length

  2–4.1 mm

  Anther opening

  the anthers have small holes or openings at the tips

  Anther spurs

  the anthers do not have spurs on them

  Anther tube length

  0.2–0.3 mm

  Calyx growth after flowering

  the calyx does not grow to cover or partially cover the fruit

  Calyx symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)

  Carpel hairs

  the carpels have no hairs

  Carpels fused

  the carpels are fused to one another

  Cilia on petals

  the petal margins do not have cilia

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla morphology

  NA

  Corolla palate

  no

  Corona lobe length

  0 mm

  Epicalyx

  the flower does not have an epicalyx

  Epicalyx number of parts

  0

  Filament surface

  the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales

  Flower description

  the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium

  Flower diameter

  8–12 mm

  Flower number

  4–22

  Flower orientation

  • the flower bends downwards or hangs downwards
  • the flower points upwards or is angled outwards

  Flower petal color

  • other
  • pink to red
  • white

  Flower reproductive parts

  the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts

  Flower symmetry

  • there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
  • there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Form of style

  • the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched
  • the style is lobed at the tip, and unbranched

  Fringed petal edges

  the petals are not fringed

  Fused stamen clusters

  NA

  Fusion of sepals and petals

  • both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
  • the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube

  Hairs on flower stalk

  the flower stalk has no hairs on it

  Hairs on inflorescence

  the axis of the inflorescence has no hairs on it

  Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

  NA

  Hypanthium

  the flower does not have a hypanthium

  Hypanthium length

  0 mm

  Inflorescence length

  60–160 mm

  Inflorescence one-sided

  the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks

  Inner tepals (Rumex)

  NA

  Interior flower disk

  the flower does not have an interior disc

  Length of flower stalk

  4–8 mm

  Length of peduncle

  10–30 mm

  Marks on petals

  there are no noticeable marks on the petals

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of branches in umbel

  0

  Number of carpels

  5

  Number of pistils

  1

  Number of sepals, petals or tepals

  there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower

  Number of styles

  1

  Ovary position

  the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Perianth shape

  • the perianth is another shape
  • the perianth is campanulate (bell-shaped, with a tube about as long as wide, flaring at the mouth)

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures

  Petal and sepal colors

  • other
  • pink to red
  • white

  Petal appearance

  the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)

  Petal base

  the petal narrows gradually or does not narrow at the base

  Petal folds or pleats

  the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits

  Petal glandular dots or scales

  no

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal hairs on inner/upper surface

  there are no hairs on the inner/upper petal surface

  Petal length

  6–10.5 mm

  Petal length relative to sepals

  the petals are longer than the sepals

  Petal nectaries

  the petals do not have nectaries

  Petal number

  5

  Petal shape

  • the petal outline is obovate (roughly egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
  • the petal outline is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)

  Petal tip shape

  the petal tip is rounded

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Petal width

  4.5–5 mm

  Raceme attachment (Veronica)

  NA

  Reproductive system

  all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)

  Scales inside corolla

  no

  Sepal and petal color

  the sepals are different from the petals

  Sepal appearance

  the sepals are green or brown, and leaf-like in texture

  Sepal appendages

  the sepals do not have appendages on them

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Sepal auricles

  the sepals have no auricles

  Sepal cilia

  the sepals do not have cilia

  Sepal color

  • green to brown
  • pink to red

  Sepal features

  NA

  Sepal length

  2–4.5 mm

  Sepal number

  5

  Sepal orientation

  • the sepals are pressed against the corolla, or jutting stiffly upward
  • the sepals are slightly curved outwards from the corolla

  Sepal relative length

  the sepal lobes are approximately the same length as the fused portion

  Sepal shape

  • the sepal outline is oblong (rectangular, but with rounded ends)
  • the sepal outline is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)

  Sepal texture

  the sepals are either very thin but flexible, like a membrane, or they are leaf-like in texture

  Sepal tip shape

  • the sepal tip is acute (is sharply pointed)
  • the sepal tip is obtuse (is bluntly pointed)

  Sepal uniformity

  all the sepals are about the same size

  Sepals fused only to sepals

  • the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases
  • the sepals are separate from one another

  Spur length

  0 mm

  Spur number

  NA

  Stamen appendages

  stamen appendages are absent

  Stamen attachment

  the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals

  Stamen length

  4–7 mm

  Stamen lengths differ

  the stamens are all approximately the same length

  Stamen morphology

  the stamens within each cycle are the same

  Stamen number

  10

  Stamen position relative to petals

  NA

  Stamen relative length

  anything

  Stamens fused

  the stamens are not attached to one another

  Staminodes

  there are no staminodes on the flower

  Stigma position

  the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style

  Style length

  6–9 mm

  Style petal-like

  the styles are not petal-like

  Style relative length

  the stigma protrudes beyond the mouth of the corolla

  Surface of ovary

  the ovary surface has no points, bumps or wrinkles

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene relative orientation

  NA

  Achene shape

  NA

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  NA

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  the capsule has five prominent ribs or wings

  Capsule splitting

  the capsule splits by five main valves, teeth or pores

  Carpel beak length

  0 mm

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit cross-section

  the fruit is round in cross-section

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit length

  3–3.5 mm

  Fruit length relative to sepals

  the fruit is longer than its associated sepals

  Fruit locules

  five

  Fruit shape

  • the fruit is flat or strongly compressed
  • the fruit is spherical

  Fruit stalk orientation

  the fruits curve or droop downwards

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe

  Fruit type (specific)

  the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)

  Fruit width

  4.2–5 mm

  Hair type on fruit

  the hairs on the fruits are simple (not branched), don’t have glands, and are not woolly

  Hairs on fruit

  the fruits are not hairy

  Legumes (Fabaceae)

  NA

  Mericarp length

  0 mm

  Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)

  NA

  Other markings on berry

  NA

  Ovary stipe

  the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe

  Ovary stipe length

  0 mm

  Placenta arrangement

  the plant has parietal placentation, where ovules develop on the wall or slight outgrowths of the wall forming broken partitions within a compound ovary

  Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit compression

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit segments

  0

  Seed length

  0.5–0.6 mm

  Seed relative length

  the seed is longer than it is wide

  Seeds comose

  no hairs

  Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Wings on fruit

  the fruit does not have wings on it

  prickles on fruits

  the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures

• Glands or sap

  Glands on leaf blade

  the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales

  Sap

  the sap is clear and watery

  Sap color

  the sap is clear

• Growth form

  Growth form

  the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)

  Horizontal rooting stem

  the plant does not have stolons

  Lifespan

  the plant lives more than two years

  Parasitism

  the plant is not parasitic

  Plant color

  the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

  Plants darken when dry

  no

  Spines on plant

  the plant has no spines

  Underground organs

  the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)

• Leaves

  Bracteole edges

  NA

  Bracteole length

  0 mm

  Bracteole number (Apiaceae)

  0

  Bracteole shape

  NA

  Bracteoles

  there are no bracteoles on the plant

  Bracts in plantain (Plantago)

  NA

  Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)

  0

  Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Floral bract texture

  the floral bracts are thin, dry and papery, possibly with a narrow green stripe at the center

  Floral bracts

  the flower has one or more bracts associated with it

  Flower bract length

  4–12 mm

  Hairs on leaf stalk

  the petiole has no hairs on it

  Hairs on underside of leaf

  the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Hairs on upper side of leaf

  the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Hooked hairs on underside of leaf

  no

  Inflated hairs on leaf

  the leaf blade does not have inflated hairs on it

  Leaf arrangement

  basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)

  Leaf blade base shape

  the base of the leaf blade is rounded

  Leaf blade base symmetry

  the leaf blade base is symmetrical

  Leaf blade bloom

  the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom

  Leaf blade edges

  the edge of the leaf blade has teeth

  Leaf blade flatness

  • the edges of the leaf are curled under
  • the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges

  Leaf blade hairs

  the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly

  Leaf blade length

  16–80 mm

  Leaf blade primary vein pattern

  the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the primary vein

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
  • the leaf blade is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
  • the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)

  Leaf blade surface colors

  • the upper side of the leaf blade has obvious spots, mottles or stripes
  • the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

  Leaf blade texture

  the leaf blade is coriaceous (has a firm, leathery texture)

  Leaf blade vein pattern

  the major veins of the leaf blade branch, but do not rejoin

  Leaf blade veins

  the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip (it may or may not have secondary veins)

  Leaf blade width

  16–70 mm

  Leaf duration

  the leaves remain green all winter

  Leaf form

  the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture

  Leaf hair orientation

  NA

  Leaf shiny

  the upper side of the leaf is very shiny

  Leaf spines

  there are no spines on the leaf edges

  Leaf stalk

  the leaves have leaf stalks

  Leaf stalk attachment to leaf

  the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade

  Leaf stalk base

  the petiole base is narrow where it attaches to the stem

  Leaf stalk length

  8–70 mm

  Leaf teeth and lobes

  the leaf blade margin has rounded teeth

  Leaf tip

  • the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is retuse (blunt or rounded, with a notch at the tip)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is rounded, with no point

  Leaf tufts in axils

  there are no clusters of smaller leaves growing out of axils

  Leaf type

  the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Leaf types

  There is a gradual change in appearance of the leaves from the base (or near the base) of the plant to those from further up on the stem, with leaves progressively changing as one moves higher on the stem (often becoming shorter, or less toothed/lobed, and/or with shorter petioles).

  Leaf variation

  NA

  Leaflet number

  4–7

  Leaflet petiolules

  NA

  Leaves per node

  the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (i.e., basal)

  Pinnately compound leaf type

  NA

  Specific leaf type

  the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Stipels

  NA

  Stipule edges

  NA

  Stipule features

  NA

  Stipule fused to leaf stalk

  NA

  Stipule length

  0 mm

  Stipule shape

  NA

  Stipules

  there are no stipules on the plant

  Teeth per side of leaf blade

  0

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  forests

• Scent

  Plant odor

  • the plant does not have much of a smell
  • the plant has a pleasant smell, for example anise, fruit, mint or resin

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  NA

  Direction of stem hairs

  NA

  Flowering stem cross-section

  the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular

  Hair between stem nodes

  the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Hairs between stem nodes

  the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Hooked hairs on stem between nodes

  no

  Leaves on stem

  the flowering stem has no leaves above the base

  Length of hairs between stem nodes

  0 mm

  Plant height

  10–30 cm

  Stem bloom

  there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem

  Stem hair distribution

  NA

  Stem nodes swollen

  the stem is not swollen at the nodes

  Stem orientation

  the stems are upright or angled outwards

  Stem roughness between nodes

  the stem does not feel rough

  Stem spacing

  the plant is solitary, or a few plants are growing together

  Stem succulence

  the stems are not succulent

  Tendril origin

  NA

  Tendrils

  the plant does not have tendrils

  Wings on stem

  the stem does not have wings on it

Wetland status

Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)

In New England

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key