Ontario Wildflowers website

One-Flowered Pyrola
Moneses uniflora

Other common names: One-Flowered Wintergreen, Spotted Wintergreen

Other scientific names: Moneses grandiflora, Pyrola uniflora

Family: Heath Family (Ericaceae), (Pyrola Family (Pyrolaceae))

Group: Pyrolas

Distinctive features: A single flower. Cool moist forests.

Similar species:
  •   One-sided Pyrola (Orthilia secunda) - has many flowers, all on one side of the inflorescence.


Flowers: Summer;  White, Red/Pink;  5 parts (petals);  A single white or pink flower per plant, downward pointing. Protruding style. Five petals.

Leaves: Basal rosette of small roundish evergreen leaves. These are the only leaves.

Height: Up to 10 cm (4 in)

Habitat: Forests;  Cool moist forests.

Books: Newcomb's Wildflower Guide: 182    Peterson's Field Guide to Wildflowers: 26, 234    ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario: 254   

Native/Non-native: Native

Status: Not very common.

Origin and Meaning of Names:
 Scientific Name: uniflora: one-flowered


Photographs: 66 photographs available, of which 6 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page

One-Flowered Pyrola (Moneses uniflora)

The single white flower. Although this flower does occur in Ontario, all the photos on this page are of specimens in Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland.

One-Flowered Pyrola (Moneses uniflora)

Note the protruding style.

One-Flowered Pyrola (Moneses uniflora)

Since the flower points downward, and this plant is very small, this is usually the view you get of this flower.

One-Flowered Pyrola (Moneses uniflora)

Leaves.

One-Flowered Pyrola (Moneses uniflora)

Flowers with seed capsules forming. Note the flowers are now turning up. Note the rosette of basal leaves; there are no other leaves.

One-Flowered Pyrola (Moneses uniflora)

And when the flower is completely gone, and seed capsule formation is well under way, the stalk points straight up.


Range map for One-Flowered Pyrola (Moneses uniflora)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)