LIttle Prince's Pine

himaphila menziesii is a species of perennial wildflower in the heath family known by the common name little prince's pine. This is a short flower with a slender reddish stem not exceeding 15 centimeters. The leaves are lance-shaped and a leathery rich green with light veins and tiny widely-spaced teeth along the edges. The inflorescence atop the stem produces hanging flowers on long stalks. Each flower is white to dark pink, with spreading petals around a thick center. A ring of stamens with large tubular anthers surrounds an ovary with a large buttonlike stigma. This plant is found scattered throughout the mountains of western North America where it grows in the understory of coniferous forests.