Pipsissewa
Chimaphila umbellata
Description: Short, slightly woody, dwarf evergreen shrub, stems to 35cm tall, hairless. Whorled 3-7cm long and bright shiny green leaves are sharply toothed above the middle half of the leaf. Produces whitish pink nodding saucer shaped flowers in a small loose cluster.
Ecology: Found in well drained coniferous forests, clearings, roadsides, in humus and rotting wood, at low to middle elevations.
Notes: This one was found at middle elevation on the side of an old logging road. June 30 2001.
Pink Wintergreen
Pyrola asarifolia
Description: An evergreen perennial with long branched rhizomes, and 40cm tall flowering stems. Circular to elliptic heart-shaped leathery shiny green leaves are in a basal rosette. Flowers are pink to purplish red bell or cup-shaped in a long, loose cluster.
Ecology: Found in moist sites in mixed or coniferous woods as well as thickets, meadows and heaths from low to very high elevations to the timberline.
Notes: This one was found at the boggy edge of a coniferous forest at middle elevation not far from Carlson Lake, BC. It was growing with other wintergreens, early August, 2001.
One Sided Wintergreen
Orthilia secunda
Description: An evergreen perennial from slender, branched rhizomes, 5-20cm tall. Leaves are mostly basal but smaller leaves also appear along the stems; they are oval-elliptic, green above and paler beneath, toothed. Produces pale green or whitish bell shaped nodding flowers in elongated narrow clusters all directed to one side.
Ecology: Found in dry or moist mossy sites in coniferous forests at low to subalpine regions, common in coastal BC except in the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Notes: This group was on the side of a logging road at middle elevation on the Sunshine Coast, August 2001.
Menzie's Pipsissewa
Chimaphila menziesii
Description: A slender somewhat woody dwarf evergreen shrub from creeping rhizomes, to 15cm tall. Alternate deciduous leaves are 2-5cm long and are a bluish green and are usually sharply toothed along their margins. Creamy white flowers are sometimes pink, they are waxy and 5-7mm long, fragrant, saucer shaped and nodding, in a loose cluster.
Ecology: Found in well drained sites in open or dense coniferous forests at low to middle elevations in southwestern BC but not on the outer Coast. Found on humus and rotting wood.
Notes: This one was found growing in dense coniferous forest near Carlson Lake at middle elevation, growing on humus, early August, 2001.
