About Chimaphila menziesii (R.Br. ex D.Don) Spreng.
Chimaphila menziesii (R.Br. ex D.Don) Spreng. is a small flowering plant with a slender reddish stem that grows no taller than 15 centimeters. Its leaves are lance-shaped, leathery, and a rich deep green, with light veins and tiny, widely spaced teeth along their edges. At the top of the stem, the inflorescence produces hanging flowers borne on long stalks. Each flower ranges in color from white to dark pink, with spreading petals surrounding a thick central structure. A ring of stamens with large tubular anthers surrounds an ovary that has a large, button-shaped stigma. This species is similar to its relative Chimaphila umbellata (prince's pine), but is smaller in size. This plant is scattered across the mountain regions of western North America, growing in the understory of coniferous forests. It is native to the western United States and southwestern Canada. The plant was used to create treatments to break up kidney stones or gallstones. The common name Pipsissewa likely comes from the Cree word pipsisikuweu, which means 'it breaks into little pieces'.
