Pipsissewa (redirected from pipsissewas)

pipsissewa (pĭpsĭs`əwä), any plant of the genus Chimaphila, perennial herbs of dry wooded regions in the Northern Hemisphere. The pipsissewas, closely related to the wintergreens, have thick, shiny leaves and pinkish or white flowers. C. umbellata is the common species of North America; its variety cisatlantica is the plant known as prince's pine in the Eastern states. Other varieties are found in the West and in Europe and Asia. Folia Chimaphilae, extracted from the leaves, is a tonic and diuretic used in the treatment of bladder problems. C. maculata is called spotted wintergreen. Pipsissewa is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Ericales, family Pyrolaceae. See heath, in botany.

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Pipsissewa 

(Chimaphila), a genus of plants of the family Pyrolaceae. They are perennial plants with creeping rhizomes and entire leathery leaves that preserve their green color in the winter. The flowers are pink and are clustered in umbel-late heads. Pipsissewa has a pentamerous perianth, superior ovary, and a capsule fruit. Eight species are known in the forest zone of the northern hemisphere (according to other data, there are only four). There are two species in the USSR; the more common is C. umbellata, which grows in the pine forests of the European part, Western Siberia, and the Far East.