北极花 Linnaea borealis
- Scientific Name: Linnaea borealis L.
- Ref: Sp. Pl.:631. 1753
- English Common Name: twinflower
- Chinese Common Name: 北极花 běijí∙huā, 林奈花 Línnài huā, 北极林奈草 běijí Línnài cǎo
- Japanese Common Name: リンネソウ [リンネ草] rinnesō, メオトバナ [夫婦花] meotobana
- Family: Caprifoliaceae
- Genus: Linnaea
- Distribution: Needle-leaved forests, on trunks, mossy rocks; 700-2300 m. Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, ?Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Xinjiang [widely distributed in other parts of N temperate regions].
- Photo: Mt. Changbai, Jilin
Subshrubs, creeping, evergreen, 5-10 cm tall. Stem long, slender, sparsely shortly pubescent. Petiole 3-4 mm; leaf blade orbicular to obovate, abaxially glabrous, adaxially sparsely pubescent, margin with 1-3 pairs of rounded teeth. Flowers fragrant, nodding; main peduncles 60-70 mm; inflorescence bracts linear, shortly pubescent; inflorescence peduncles less than 10 mm. Sepals shortly pubescent, narrowly acute, deciduous in fruit. Corolla white to pink, to 10 mm; tube glabrous outside, pubescent inside. Stigmas capitate. Achenes nodding, yellow, orbicular. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug. 2n = 32. (Flora of China)