PLANT: Perennial, rhizomatous evergreen herbs or sub-shrubs, mainly mycorrhizal autotrophs but with some species of Pyrola producing leafless flowering shoots. LEAVES: simple, alternate, whorled or in rosette-like clusters. FLOWERS: perfect, hypogynous, actinomorphic or somewhat zygomorphic, in bracteate inflorescences; sepals and petals in 5's, separate; stamens 10; anthers generally with apical tubular extensions with pores; pollen in tetrads or single; ovary 5-locular; nectaries present or absent. FRUITS: globose loculicidal capsules. NOTES: 4 genera, about 25 spp., mainly of north temperate regions. Haber, E. 1974. Canad. J. Bot. 52:877-883. REFERENCES: Haber, Erich. 1992. Pyrolaceae. Ariz.-Nev. Acad. Sci. 26(1)2.