Pyrola rotundifolia
Pyrola rotundifolia
The Round-leaved Wintergreen or Round-leafed Pyrola (Pyrola rotundifolia L.) is a herbaceous species belonging to the Ericaceae family.
Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota Domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Subarign Tracheobionta,
Spermatophyta superdivision,
Magnoliophyta Division,
Magnoliopsida class,
Subclass Dilleniidae,
Ericales Order,
Ericaceae family,
Genus Pyrola,
P. rotundifolia species.
The terms are synonymous:
– Pyrola concolor Dumort., 1868;
– Pyrola discolor Dumort., 1868;
– Pyrola monophyla Raf .;
– Pyrola rotundifolia f. intermedia Rouy, 1897;
– Pyrola rotundifolia f. serotin (Melicoq) Rouy, 1897;
– Pyrola rotundifolia var. chloranthoides P. Fourn., 1937;
– Pyrola rotundifolia var. rotundifolia;
– Pyrola serotina Melicocq;
– Thelaia rotundifolia (L.) Alef ..
Etymology –
The term Pyrola is the diminutive of pyrum pera: small pear.
The specific epithet rotundifolia comes from round rotundus and folium leaf: with rounded leaves.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Pyrola rotundifolia is a plant with a wide circumboreal distribution found in Europe, Japan, Mongolia, Myanmar and Russia. It is also found in North America.
In Italy it is present throughout the Alps and in the central-northern Apennines (where it is rarer and with a more incomplete distribution).
Its habitat is that of fresh woods (spruce, beech, pine and rarely oak), sometimes in high grass consortia, on humus-rich soils, from subneutral to acidic, from the lower mountain to the subalpine belt.
Description –
The Round-leaved Wintergreen is a perennial herb that grows up to about 30 cm in height.
It has heart-shaped oval leaves, of an intense green color and glossy.
The flowers are small, bell-shaped white, collected in racemes.
The flowering period is between June and July.
The fruit is a 6-7 mm loculicidal capsule, globose, depressed, with inflected valves and whitish sutures with fibrous remains. Seeds of 0.25 mm.
Cultivation –
Pyrola rotundifolia is a perennial plant that is used for medicinal purposes and harvested in the natural state.
It is a plant that lives in mycorrhizal symbiosis with a fungus that supplies it with minerals and nutrients.
It is a plant that lives in non-acid soils and prefers humid and sandy organic soils, in a cool and partially shaded position.
Plants are hardy down to at least -20 ° C.
In order to be cultivated it requires a mycorrhizal relationship in the soil.
It is also difficult to propagate both by seed and by division.
However, sowing must be carried out immediately after the seeds are ripe, taking care to keep the seedbed moist and shaded.
The transplant must be done with already formed and well rooted seedlings.
Customs and Traditions –
Pyrola rotundifolia is a plant that has long been used for medicinal use and also as an ornamental ground cover species.
The flowers have a delicious almond scent and the leaves are antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, cardiotonic, contraceptive, diuretic, cataplasmic, sedative and tonic.
The leaves of this plant are used to prepare decoctions.
The plant contains arbutin, a proven diuretic and antibacterial agent that is used as a urinary antiseptic, this hydrolyzes in the body producing a toxic hydroquinone.
Among other uses, it can be used as a ground cover species; in this case it must be implanted with distances of about 30 cm from each other in the framework. However, it is a carpet that is slow to form and grow.
Preparation Method –
Pyrola rotundifolia is a plant used for medicinal purposes. The leaves are harvested from mid to late summer and can be used fresh or dried.
With these, decoctions are prepared that are used in the treatment of skin diseases, as gargle and as a cleanser for the eyes.
It is also used internally in the treatment of epilepsy and other nervous afflictions.
Guido Bissanti
Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.
Warning: Pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; therefore no responsibility is taken for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.