The
photo at right shows a close-up of the flower of large pyrola. Photographed along
the Hurricane Creek Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness in northeastern Oregon........June
24, 2004.
Large pyrola is a perennial wildflower with erect flowering stems rising 15-40 cm high from a cluster of basal leaves atop widespread rhizomes. The leaf blades are round to elliptic or obovate in shape with a round to acute base and rounded to notched leaf tip. The blade is 3-8 cm long and about as wide with entire to toothed margins and a dark, shiny green on the upper blade and purplish beneath. The petioles are about as long as the blades.
The inflorescence is an elongated raceme of 10-25 flowers. The pedicels are 3-8 mm long and are subtended by linear-lanceolate bracts which are about as long. The pendant flowers are 10-15 mm wide with the petals pink to rose or a purplish-red color. The petals are 5-7 mm long. The calyx is 2.5-4 mm long with acute to acuminate lobes. The style is 5-8 mm long, strongly curved and with a collar below the stigma.
Large pyrola may be found in moist forests.
Large pyrola may be found from Alaska south to California and east across Canada to northeastern North America.
