
{"id":23008,"date":"2012-01-26T10:11:11","date_gmt":"2012-01-26T15:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/?p=23008"},"modified":"2012-02-17T11:59:47","modified_gmt":"2012-02-17T16:59:47","slug":"what-is-wintergreen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/2012\/01\/26\/what-is-wintergreen\/","title":{"rendered":"FLORA: What is wintergreen?"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_23020\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23020\" style=\"width: 338px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/2012\/01\/26\/what-is-wintergreen\/spotted-wintergreen-leaves-2_edit\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-23020\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/spotted-wintergreen-leaves-2_edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Spotted wintergreen leaves\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23020\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/spotted-wintergreen-leaves-2_edit.jpg 338w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/spotted-wintergreen-leaves-2_edit-113x150.jpg 113w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/spotted-wintergreen-leaves-2_edit-84x113.jpg 84w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/spotted-wintergreen-leaves-2_edit-75x100.jpg 75w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 338px) 100vw, 338px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23020\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spotted wintergreen sports striped leaves on a short stem. PHOTO BY KEN MOORE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>By Ken Moore<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Flora Columnist<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The most obvious evergreen features of the winter forest floor are numerous extensive carpets of Christmas ferns, <em>Polystichum acrostichoides<\/em> (see Flora, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Christmas ferns\u00e2\u20ac\u009d). Such fern carpets indicate a bit more moisture close to the soil surface than occurring in the surrounding terrain. I also admire single specimens and small clumps of ferns here and there and can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help but wonder how many years will pass before they become impressive spreads.<br \/>\nLess obvious, but notable to the observant eye, are at least five small evergreen plants that are easy to identify during the winter. Several of them in the past have been called wintergreen. Some years ago when assisting Betsy Green Moyer with <em>Paul Green\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Plant Book<\/em>, I was puzzled for days trying to discern exactly which botanical species were being described as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153wintergreen\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by old-timers who collected them for herbal medicines. <\/p>\n<p>I finally decided to limit \u00e2\u20ac\u0153wintergreen\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to <em>Gautheria procumbens<\/em>, which in Bell and Lindsey\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s <em>Wild Flowers of North Carolina<\/em> is also called checkerberry and teaberry. A common plant of northern states and our mountain counties, this wintergreen is seldom seen down here in our Piedmont. <\/p>\n<p>Become familiar with the four common evergreen wildflowers pictured here by name and you can impress your woods-walking companions.<\/p>\n<p>The most frequently found is <em>Chimaphila maculata<\/em>, spotted or striped wintergreen, sometimes called <em>pipsissewa<\/em>. <em>Pipsissewa<\/em> means \u00e2\u20ac\u0153to make water\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and was used as an herbal diuretic. You can use whatever name you like. Return in mid-May to June to catch it in flower.<\/p>\n<p>You could confuse the white-striped leaves of rattlesnake plantain, <em>Goodyera pubescens<\/em>, with the spotted wintergreen if you did not make note that <em>Goodyera\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s<\/em> striped leaves remain as a rosette flat on the ground, not along a short upright stem as on <em>Chimaphila<\/em>. Return in June to July to see this terrestrial orchid in flower.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23027\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23027\" style=\"width: 350px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/2012\/01\/26\/what-is-wintergreen\/rattlesnake-plantain-leaf-rosette-by-dave-ot-2edit\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-23027\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Rattlesnake-Plantain-leaf-rosette-by-Dave-Ot-2edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Rattlesnake Plantain leaf\" width=\"350\" height=\"450\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23027\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Rattlesnake-Plantain-leaf-rosette-by-Dave-Ot-2edit.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Rattlesnake-Plantain-leaf-rosette-by-Dave-Ot-2edit-113x145.jpg 113w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Rattlesnake-Plantain-leaf-rosette-by-Dave-Ot-2edit-87x113.jpg 87w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Rattlesnake-Plantain-leaf-rosette-by-Dave-Ot-2edit-77x100.jpg 77w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23027\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striped leaves of Goodyera form a rosette on the ground. PHOTO BY DAVE OTTO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Locally there are three similar evergreen plants called wild ginger or heartleaf. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fret about which species of <em>Hexastylis<\/em> you are seeing. All three have distinctively heart-shaped leaves and show varying degrees of light and dark variegation. Return in early mid-spring to discover the leathery flowers hidden beneath the leaf litter.<\/p>\n<p>You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll find partridge berry, <em>Mitchella repens<\/em>, either as a few sparse prostrate opposite leafy stems or as vigorous mats scattered throughout deciduous and piney forests. The red berries resulting from two joined flowers may still be present in the winter. Return in May to find white flowers.<\/p>\n<p>The fifth commonly encountered evergreen wildflower, three-lobed leaved <em>Hepatica<\/em>, was featured in Flora last week.<\/p>\n<p>So there you have it, your guide to identifying our five common evergreen wildflowers. Make certain you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t confuse them with the very common crane-fly orchid, <em>Tipularia<\/em> discolor (see Flora, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Locate now for later viewing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d). Crane-fly orchid leaves are now soaking up the winter sun, but these leaves are not evergreen; they die down during summer months.<\/p>\n<p>Now you should invite your friends to join you on another winter woods walk.<\/p>\n<p><em>Email Ken Moore at flora@carrborocitizen.com. Find previous Ken Moore Citizen columns at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/flora\/\">The Annotated Flora<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23030\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23030\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/2012\/01\/26\/what-is-wintergreen\/wild-ginger-leaves-2-edit\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-23030\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/wild-ginger-leaves-2-edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"wild ginger leaves\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23030\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/wild-ginger-leaves-2-edit.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/wild-ginger-leaves-2-edit-113x84.jpg 113w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/wild-ginger-leaves-2-edit-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/wild-ginger-leaves-2-edit-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/wild-ginger-leaves-2-edit-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23030\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heart-shaped leaves of wild ginger are unmistakable. PHOTO BY KEN MOORE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23031\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23031\" style=\"width: 250px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/2012\/01\/26\/what-is-wintergreen\/partridge-berry-by-betsy\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-23031\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Partridge-berry-by-Betsy.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Partridge-berry-by-Betsy\" width=\"250\" height=\"350\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23031\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23031\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Partridge berry sometimes forms green carpets on the ground. PHOTO BY BETSY GREEN MOYER<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23040\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23040\" style=\"width: 250px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/2012\/01\/26\/what-is-wintergreen\/cranefly-leaves_edit\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-23040\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Cranefly-leaves_edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Cranefly-leaves_edit\" width=\"250\" height=\"350\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23040\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23040\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deciduous-in-summer leaves of crane-fly orchid absorb sun in the winter. PHOTO BY KEN MOORE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The most obvious evergreen features of the winter forest floor are numerous extensive carpets of Christmas ferns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":23020,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-flora"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23008"}],"version-history":[{"count":40,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23879,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23008\/revisions\/23879"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}