[Chimaza maculata R. Brown ex D. Don, Mem. Nat. Hist. Wern. Soc. 5: 244.  1824, nom. nud., pro syn.]

Chimaphila maculata (Linnaeus) Pursh var. acuminata Lange, Vidensk. Meddel. Dansk Naturhist. Foren. Kjbenhavn 9: 112.  1868.  Chimaphila acuminata (Lange) Rydberg, N. Amer. Fl. 29(1): 31.  1914.  Type. Mexico.  Veracruz: Alpatlahua, 2300 m, Sep 1841 (fr), Liebmann 8650 [lectotype, designated by Dorr (1995), C].

Chimaphila dasystemma Torrey ex Rydberg, N. Amer. Fl. 29(1): 32.  1914.

Chimaphila maculata (Linnaeus) Pursh var. dasystemma (Torrey ex Rydberg) Kearney & Peebles, J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 29: 487.  1939.  Type. Mexico. Without locality, Coulter s.n. (holotype, NY, photo UC; isotypes, GH, PH).

Chimaphila guatemalensis Rydberg, N. Amer. Fl. 29(1): 32.  1914.  Type.  Guatemala. Zacatepéquez: Santiago, 2000 m, 1891 (fl, fr), Gómez 795 (holotype, NY;  isotypes, K, GH, US).

[Chimaphila maculata (Linnaeus) Pursh subsp. kochii Andres, Verh. Bot. Vereins Prov. Brandenburg 56: 27. 1914, nom. nud.]

[Chimaphila costaricens Andres, Verh. Bot. Vereins Prov. Brandenburg 56: 66. 1914, nom. nud.]

[Chimaphila kochii Andres, Verh. Bot. Vereins Prov. Brandenburg 56: 66. 1914, nom. nud.]

[Chimaphila dasystephana Pennington, The Tarahumar of Mexico 151. 1974, nom. nud.,  sphalm pro "dasystemma."]

Chimaphila menziesii auct. non (R. Brown ex D. Don) Sprengel: Camp, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 66(1): 8.  1939.

     Subshrubs, 1-5.3 dm tall.  Leaves spreading, clustered in 2-5 pseudo-whorls of 2-5 leaves each, the pseudo-whorls separated by conspicuous, 1-7 cm long internodes, thick-coriaceous, narrowly lanceolate, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, or ovate, 2-10 x 0.8-3.1 cm, basally obtuse, rounded, or widely cuneate, apically acute or acuminate, margin coarsely and remotely 3-15-toothed with sharp and salient teeth occurring the length of the leaf margin, lustrous or shiny dark-green above and marked with a broad whitish line on the midrib and larger secondary veins (i.e., maculated), pale reddish-purple below;  midvein impressed above;  petioles terete to slightly channeled, smooth, 3-13 mm long, reddish-brown.  Inflorescences (1-)2-5-flowered;  peduncles usually solitary, but sometimes two from a single stem, finely papillate, 4-18.5 cm long, light reddish-brown;  pedicels finely papillate, 3-6 mm long, light reddish-brown;  floral bracts inserted well below the calyx, membranaceous, acicular to linear-lanceolate, acute, slightly denticulate, 4-6 x ca. 0.5 mm, papillate toward the base, smooth above, dark brown.  Flowers: calyx 4-6 mm long, bases overlapping, lobes broadly-ovate, rounded, erose-denticulate, 1.4-4.1 x 1.3-4.5 mm, pink (?), reflexed in fruit;  corolla broadly crateriform, 15-20 x 10-15 mm, white or pink, with a tinge of violet, petals orbicular, 6-12 x 4.5-8 mm, margins fimbriate or erose-denticulate;  stamens 6-7 mm long;  filaments 4-6 mm long, the dilated portion densely villous, violet-purple (?);  anthers 2-4 mm long, light brown;  ovary depressed-globose;  stigma 2-3.5 mm diam.  Capsule 5-10 mm tall, 5-10 mm diam.

     Distribution.  In the Flora Neotropica area on shady slopes in Pinus, Pinus-Quercus, Pinus-Quercus-Liquidambar, Abies, Pinus-Abies, Quercus, or Quercus-bamboo forest at elevations of (500-)1000-3400 m.  Flowering April to September, less frequently November to January;  fruiting throughout the year, the capsules often persisting to the next flowering season.