Chimaphila umbellata
| Chimaphila umbellata | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Chimaphila |
| Species: | C. umbellata |
| Binomial name | |
| Chimaphila umbellata (L.) Barton |
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Chimaphila umbellata (Umbellate Wintergreen, Pipsissewa, or Prince's pine) is a small perennial flowering plant found in dry woodlands, or sandy soils. It is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere.
It grows 10-35 cm tall, and has evergreen shiny, bright green, toothed leaves arranged in opposite pairs or whorls of 3-4 along the stem. Leaves have a shallowly toothed margin, where the teeth have fine hairs at their ends. The flowers are white or pink, produced in a small umbel of 4-8 together.
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[edit] Ecology
Although it has green leaves year-round, it receives a significant portion of its nutrition from fungi in the soil (that is, it is a partial myco-heterotroph, which is not surprising as related plants, such as Pyrola, are partial or full myco-heterotrophs).[1]
[edit] Taxonomy
There are four subspecies:
- Chimaphila umbellata subsp. umbellata – Europe, Asia
- Chimaphila umbellata subsp. acuta – southwestern North America
- Chimaphila umbellata subsp. cisatlantica – northeastern North America
- Chimaphila umbellata subsp. occidentalis – northwestern North America
[edit] Uses
Some Plateau Indian tribes used a boil of prince's pine to treat tuberculosis.[2]
It is used as a flavoring in candy and soft drinks, particularly root beer.
"Pipsissewa" is a Cree name meaning "It-breaks-into-small-pieces".
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chimaphila umbellata |
[edit] References
- ^ Leho Tedersoo, Prune Pellet, Urmas Kõljalg and Marc-André Selosse (March, 2007). "Parallel evolutionary paths to mycoheterotrophy in understorey Ericaceae and Orchidaceae: ecological evidence for mixotrophy in Pyroleae". Oecologia 151 (2): 206–217. doi:10.1007/s00442-006-0581-2. PMID 17089139.
- ^ Hunn, Eugene S. (1990). Nch'i-Wana, "The Big River": Mid-Columbia Indians and Their Land. University of Washington Press. p. 352. ISBN 0-295-97119-3.
[edit] External links
- Flora of China: Chimaphila umbellata
- Flora Europaea: Chimaphila umbellata distribution
- linnaeus.nrm.se: Range map with the different subspecies of the Chimaphila umbellata-complex
- Jepson Manual treatment - Chimaphila umbellata
- USDA Plant Profile for Chimaphila umbellata (pipsissewa)
- Germplasm Resources Information Network: Chimaphila umbellata
- USDA Forest Service: Chimaphila umbellata
