Key to Pyrola

View taxon page for Pyrola

(For a list of species in Pyrola, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Flowers 

radial 

Divisible into mirror-image halves in three or more ways.

, ± closed; style ± 

included 

Not protruding out of surrounding structure(s) (e.g., stamens included in corolla).

, straight, < 2 mm, stigma 

lobes 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

; anthers < 1.5 mm, ± without tube-like constrictions subtending pores (subg. Amelia) ..... P. minor

1' Flowers subradial to 

bilateral 

Divisible into mirror-image halves in only one way.

, ± open; style 

exserted 

Protruding out of surrounding structure(s) (e.g., stamens exserted from corolla).

, downcurved, > 4 mm, stigma lobes ± 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

; anthers >= 2 mm, with tube-like constrictions subtending pores (subg. Pyrola)

2. Flower 

bract 

Reduced, leaf- or scale-like structure subtending a branch, cone scale, peduncle, pedicel, or flower.

generally >> 

pedicel 

Stalk of an individual flower in an inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit.

3. Leaf blades generally vestigial or 0, 

sessile 

Without a petiole, peduncle, pedicel, or other kind of stalk.

, ± 

appressed 

Parallel or nearly parallel to and often in contact with surface of origin; used to describe the disposition of hairs, leaves, pedicels, etc.

, ± not green, dull adaxially ..... P. aphylla (2)

3' Leaf blades well developed, petioled, spreading, green (chlorophyll present), ± shiny adaxially ..... P. asarifolia

4. Flower bract 1–1.5 × pedicel; sepals 2–3.5 mm, 

deltate 

More or less equilaterally triangular, with the corners rounded or not.

to 

lanceolate 

Narrowly elongate, widest in the basal half, often tapered to an acute tip.

; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

round to 

reniform 

Kidney-shaped; often pertaining to a leaf in which the blade base on both sides of the petiole is rounded and concave.

, 

entire 

Having margins that are continuous and smooth (i.e., without teeth, lobes, etc.).

to ± 

crenate 

Pertaining to margins with shallow, rounded teeth, between which are usually acute sinuses (i.e., scalloped)

; anthers 2–3 mm ..... subsp. asarifolia

4' Flower bract generally > 2 × pedicel; sepals 3–5.8 (generally >> 3.5) mm, lanceolate to lance-oblong; leaf ± round to 

elliptic 

In the shape of a flattened circle or ellipse; wider than linear

, generally minutely mucronate-dentate; anthers 2.5–3.5 mm ..... subsp. bracteata

2' Flower bract generally <= pedicel

5. Leaf blades generally vestigial or 0, largest lanceolate to deltate, sessile, ± not green, ± 1 cm ..... P. aphylla (2)

5' Leaf blades generally present, largest round to obovate, oblanceolate, or elliptic, petioled, green, generally > 1.5 cm

6. Leaves glaucous, bluish, erect; 

petiole 

Leaf stalk, connecting leaf blade to stem; sometimes more or less indistinct.

± 1/4–1/2 

blade 

Expanded portion of a leaf, petal, or other structure, generally flat but sometimes rolled, cylindric, wavy, or cupped.

; blades entire to 

serrate 

Having margins with sharp, fine to coarse teeth generally pointing tipward, not outward; margins with such teeth on such primary teeth are doubly serrate.

..... P. dentata

6' Leaves not glaucous, dark green, spreading; petiole ± >= 1/2 blade; blades entire (serrate)

7. Sepals 2.2–3.4 mm; flower bract generally > 1/2 pedicel; KR, NCoRO, NCoRH, CaR ..... P. crypta

7' Sepals 1.2–2(2.5) mm; flower bract generally ± 1/2 pedicel; NW, CaR, SN, SnFrB, SCoRO, SnBr, PR, SnJt, MP ..... P. picta

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