Subshrubs, 8.5-45 cm tall.  Leaves spreading or ascending, clustered in 2-5(-6) pseudo-whorls of 3-8 leaves each, the pseudo-whorls separated by 0.7-6 cm long internodes, thick-coriaceous, narrowly-oblanceolate, oblanceolate, obovate, elliptic, or spatulate, 1-8 x 0.4-2.7 cm, basally cuneate and decurrent on the petiole, apically subacute, acute, or obtuse, sometimes mucronate at tip, margin sharply serrate to crenate-serrate, especially above the middle, lustrous or shining, uniformly dark green above, drying olive-green, pale brownish-green, or copper-green below;  midvein and secondary veins impressed above;  petioles channeled, smooth, 1-12 mm long, reddish-brown.  Inflorescences 3-7-flowered;  peduncles solitary (rarely paired), (2-)4-10 cm long, dark reddish-brown;  pedicels ascending, diverging, or nodding, finely papillate or smooth, 4-35 mm long, dark reddish-brown;  floral bracts fleshy at the base to membranaceous or slightly membranaceous above, acicular to linear-lanceolate, acute, slightly denticulate, 2-6 x ca. 0.5 mm, light brown.  Flowers: calyx 2-4 mm long, bases overlapping, lobes broadly-ovate, acute or rounded, erose-denticulate, 1-3 x 1.4-3 mm, green (?) drying reddish- or maroon-brown;  corolla crateriform, 8-10 x 8-15 mm, white or rose-colored, petals broadly-ovate to obovate, 4-12 x 4-8 mm, margins erose-denticulate;  stamens ca. 4-7 mm long;  filaments 2.5-5 mm long, ciliate to glabrous, light brown;  anthers 1.5-3 mm long, anther tubes ca. 1 mm long, light brown;  ovary depressed-globose;  stigma 2-4 mm diam.  Capsule 4-5 mm tall, 5-10 mm diam.

     Distribution.  Widespread in temperate and boreal regions of North America, Eurasia, and Japan; isolated populations occurring in the mountains of Mexico and Guatemala, and on the island of Hispaniola.
 

                        Key to Subspecies of Chimaphila umbellata
 

1.  Plant 10-45 cm tall;  leaves 3.8-8 x 0.8-2.7 cm, margins 6-23(-26)
    -toothed;  peduncles and pedicels finely papillate;  filaments ciliate
    or ciliolate;  capsule 6-10 mm diam. (Mexico, C. Amer.) ................
    .................................................................................................  subsp. umbellata
1.  Plant 8.5-15(-19.5) cm tall;  leaves 1-3.8 x 0.4-1.5 cm, margins
    4-14(-20)-toothed;  peduncles and pedicels smooth;  filaments glabrous;
    capsules 5-6 mm diam. (Hispaniola) ...................................... subsp. domingensis
 

Chimaphila umbellata (Linnaeus) W.P.C. Barton subsp. umbellata.
 

Pyrola umbellata Linnaeus, Sp. pl. 396.  1753.  Pseva umbellata (Linnaeus) Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. 2: 390.  1891.  Chimaphila umbellata (Linnaeus) W.P.C. Barton var. genuina S.F. Blake, Rhodora 19: 241.  1917.  Type: Germany. In Lusatia inferiori, s.d. (fl), without collector, Herb. Burser vol. X: 108 [lectotype, designated by Dorr & Barrie (1993 p. 179), UPS n.v.].

[Pyrola frutescens Gilibert, Fl. lit. inch. 2: 195.  1782, nom. illeg.  See Greuter et al. 1988; Art. 23.6 (c)].

Chimaphila corymbosa Pursh, Fl. Amer. sept. 1: 300.  1814.  [Pyrola corymbosa (Pursh) Bertoloni, Novi Comm. Acad. Sci. Bonon. 6: 428.  1844, nom. illeg. (=Chimaphila umbellata (Linnaeus) W.P.C. Barton).]

[Chimaphila cymosa J. Presl & K. Presl, Fl. cech. 89.  1819, nom. illeg. (=Chimaphila umbellata (Linnaeus) W.P.C. Barton).]

Chimaphila umbellata (Linnaeus) W.P.C. Barton beta mexicana A.P. de Candolle, Prodr. 7(2): 775.  1839.  Chimaphila mexicana (A.P. de Candolle) Rydberg, N. Amer. Fl. 29(1): 31.  1914.  Chimaphila umbellata (Linnaeus) W.P.C. Barton subsp. mexicana (A.P. de Candolle) Hultén, Acta Univ. Lund, n.s., 44(1): 1203.  1948.  [Chimaphila umbellata (Linnaeus) W.P.C. Barton var. mexicana (A.P. de Candolle) L.O. Williams, Fieldiana, Bot. 31(6): 169.  1965, nom. illeg., comb. superf.]  Type. Mexico. "Environs de Mexico," 2 Aug 1827 (fl, fr), Berlandier 605 [lectotype, designated by Dorr (1995), G-DC;  isolectotypes, BM, G].

[Chimaza umbellata R. Brown ex G. Don, Mem. Nat. Hist. Wern. Soc. 5: 243.  1824, nom. nud., pro syn.]

Pyrola verticillata Sessé & Mociño, Fl. mexic., ed. 1. 120.  1894;  Sessé & Mociño, Fl. mexic., ed. 2. 110.  1894, non Schur, Verh. Mitth. Siebenburg Vereins Siebenburg Vereins Naturwiss. Hermanstadt. 3: 88. 1852, nom. illeg.  Type. Mexico. Distrito Federal: "In montibus frigidis Praedii S. Nicolai," Sessé & Mociño s.n. [lectotype, designated by Dorr (1995), plate in Torner Collection, Hunt Institute].

     Subshrubs, 10-45 cm tall.  Leaves spreading, clustered in 2-5(-6) pseudo-whorls of 3-8 leaves each, the pseudo-whorls separated by 2-6 cm long internodes, leaf blades 3.8-8 x 0.8-2.7 cm, margin 6-23(-26)-toothed;  petioles 5-12 mm long.  Inflorescences (3-)4-7-flowered;  peduncles finely papillate, 4-10 cm long;  pedicels finely papillate, 17-35 mm long;  floral bracts fleshy toward the base, membranaceous above, acicular to linear-lanceolate, 2-6 x ca. 0.5 mm, papillate toward the base, smooth above, dark reddish-brown below, light brown above.  Flowers: calyx 2-4 mm long, lobes broadly-ovate, rounded to obtuse, erose-denticulate, 1-2.5 x 1.4-2.7 mm, maroon-brown;  corolla 8-10 x 10-15 mm, petals 4-12 x 4-8 mm, erose-denticulate, creamy white or pink;  stamens 6-7 mm long;  filaments 4-5 mm long, papillate, dilated portion ciliolate;  anthers 2-3 mm long;  stigma 2-4 mm diam.  Capsule 4-5 mm tall, 6-10 mm diam.

     Distribution.  Isolated populations in the Sierra Mohinora, Sierra Maderas del Carmen, and Sierra Madre Oriental of northern Mexico and in the Flora Neotropica area restricted to the high mountains in south-central Mexico (the Neovolcanic Belt and the southern Sierra Madre Oriental) and south of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the mountains of Chiapas and western Guatemala in Abies, Abies-Pinus, Abies-Pinus-Quercus, Abies-Pseudotsuga-Pinus, Pinus-Quercus, Pinus, and Quercus forest, and Juniperus monticola matorral or scrub, on loamy-clay, granitic, or volcanic soils at elevations of (1323-)1850-3300 m.  Flowering June to October, less frequently December to March;  fruiting specimens collected throughout the year, the capsules often persisting to the next flowering season.
 
 

Chimaphila umbellata (Linnaeus) W.P.C. Barton subsp. domingensis (S.F. Blake) Dorr, Sida 11(4): 370.  1986.  Chimaphila domingensis S.F. Blake, J. Bot. 52: 169.  1914.  Type. Dominican Republic. "Prope Constanza in Valle Nuevo, in pineto," 2200 m, Aug 1910 (fl), von Türckheim 3434 (holotype, BM, photo GH;  isotypes, B†, G, GH, K, MO, NY, S, US).

     Subshrubs, 8.5-15(-19.5) cm tall.  Leaves ascending, clustered in 3-5 pseudo-whorls of 3-5 leaves each, the pseudo-whorls separated by 0.7-2.2 cm long internodes, leaf blades 1-3.8 x 0.4-1.5 cm, margin 4-14(-20)-toothed;  petioles 1-7 mm long.  Inflorescences (2-)3-5-flowered;  peduncles smooth, (2-)4.2-8 cm long;  pedicels smooth, 4-15 mm long;  floral bracts slightly membranaceous, acicular and slightly cucullate, ca. 2-5 x ca. 0.5 mm, glabrous, light-brown. Flowers: calyx 3-4 mm long, lobes broadly-ovate, acute or rounded, erose-denticulate, 1-3 x 1.7-3 mm, green (?) drying reddish-brown;  corolla 8-10 x 8-10 mm, petals ca. 5 x 4-5 mm, margins erose-denticulate;  stamens ca. 4 mm long;  filaments 2.5-3 mm long, smooth, glabrous;  anthers 1.5-2 mm long;  stigma 2.2-3 mm diam.  Capsule 4 mm tall, 5-6 mm diam.

     Distribution.  Endemic to Hispaniola in the Cordillera Central, Massif de la Selle, and Sierra Bahoruca, on rocky, pine (Pinus occidentalis Swartz) flats and barrens, or in pine forest, at elevations of 2100-2600 m.  Flowering July to October;  fruiting from September onward, with capsules sometimes persisting to the next flowering season.