General:
Perennial herb from a spreading, slender rhizome; flowering stems 15-25 cm tall, with many basal leaves.

Leaves:
Basal, evergreen, somewhat leathery, the blades broadly elliptic to oblong or egg-shaped, mostly 3.5-7 cm long and about 3/4 as wide, fine-toothed, thin, and dull; stalks rarely as long as blades.

Flowers:
Inflorescence a 2- to 20-flowered terminal, cylindric raceme, the flowers weakly bilaterally symmetric, 10-12 mm wide; flower stalks 3-8 mm long, nearly equaled by the linear-lanceolate bracts; petals white or creamy, rarely pink-tinged, egg-shaped, spreading, 6-8 mm long; sepals longer than wide, triangular to egg-shaped, tips usually sharp-pointed and somewhat bent back; tubes of anthers short, usually somewhat bent back; styles declined, curved, 5-7 mm long, with a distinct collar below the stigma.

Fruits:
Capsules, depressed globe-shaped, 4-5 mm wide.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Pyrola compacta Jennings