Pyroleae
Encyclopedia
Pyroleae is a tribe
of plants in the Ericaceae
family. It consists of four genera; Chimaphila
containing 5 species, Pyrola
containing 30 species and Moneses and Orthilia
which are monotypic
. They are mixotrophic, gaining nutrition from photosynthesis
, but also from mycorrhizal fungi.
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
of plants in the Ericaceae
Ericaceae
The Ericaceae, commonly known as the heath or heather family, is a group of mostly calcifuge flowering plants. The family is large, with roughly 4000 species spread across 126 genera, making it the 14th most speciose family of flowering plants...
family. It consists of four genera; Chimaphila
Chimaphila
Chimaphila is a genus of five species of small, evergreen, flowering plants native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
containing 5 species, Pyrola
Pyrola
Pyrola is a genus of evergreen herbaceous plants in the family Ericaceae. Under the old Cronquist system it was placed in its own family Pyrolaceae, but genetic research showed it belonged in the family Ericaceae. The species are commonly known as wintergreen, a name shared with several other...
containing 30 species and Moneses and Orthilia
Orthilia
Orthilia secunda is a flowering plant of the genus Orthilia in the family Ericaceae. It is the only member of the genus. Its common name is sidebells wintergreen and it was previously part of genus Pyrola, the wintergreens....
which are monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
. They are mixotrophic, gaining nutrition from photosynthesis
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
, but also from mycorrhizal fungi.