Chimaphila umbellata
 
Prince's-Pine

Old Capsules

Centre Block, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
27-July-2011

These are the previous year's capsules that have already dehisced.

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Chimaphila: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 
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plants with leafy stems; NOT [plants with leaves in a basal rosette]

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flowers several; NOT [flowers solitary]

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inflorescence corymbose or umbellate; NOT [inflorescence racemose]

 

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Pyrolaceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. Not all the answers lead to all members of Pyrolaceae, but they all do lead to the single member of Chimaphila found in the Canadian prairies.  Note that the key requires the plant be a shrub or tree, not a herb.  In fact, C. umbellata is suffruticose (woody at the base and herbaceous above).
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shrubs or trees; NOT [herbs]

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plants mostly prostrate; NOT [plants mostly upright]

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plants NOT climbing

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stems not armed with prickles

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plants with normal leaves

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leaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite]

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leaves simple; NOT [leaves compound]

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plants with leathery green leaves

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NOT [inflorescence terminating the branches, half-round or ovoid]

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flowers with two floral rings, and with each petal distinct from the others

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stamens less than 10; NOT [stamens numerous]

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fruit a dry capsule; NOT [fruit a berry], NOT [fruit a 3-lobed drupe]