This is one of the daintiest and loveliest of wildflowers. As you hike, look for it in the decaying needles and mosses of dry Spruce forests.  Because the plant most often reproduces from underground roots, it is common to find two or three plants within a few feet of each other. The deep green, serrated, round basal leaves are often more noticeable than the nodding flower head. You will very commonly find Single Delight in the company of other Pyrolaceae, especially One-sided Wintergreen pictured below, and the Orchidaceae Goodyera oblongifolia.

The very newly opened flower at left has a shiny stigma and the newly emerged anthers have not opened to expose the pollen.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands. Summer.
Lizard Head Trail, August 4, 2010 and August 22, 2007 and Upper West Mancos Trail, October 1, 2010.

The first photograph gives some idea of how small this plant is and what it typically looks like from a height of about three feet.

The second and third photographs show Moneses uniflora after its petals have fallen and the seed has swollen and then dried. Moneses uniflora flowers almost always face the ground, but when the petals have fallen the ripened seed head is horizontal or even vertical.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands. Summer.
Kilpacker Trail, July 22, 2004.

Orthilia secunda is far more common than Moneses uniflora (above) and is often found by the scores at the base of Engelmann Spruce along in shady forests and less often near streams underneath Colorado Blue Spruce. Orthilia secunda will frequently be found in the company of tiny Moneses uniflora, other Pyrolas, and the Orchidaceae, Goodyera oblongifolia.  In the southwestern San Juans Orthilia secunda is by far the most common of these dainty plants, all of which often escape our attention because of their diminutive size.  All possess delicate, intricate beauty observable when one gets down to their level.

Linnaeus named the genus Pyrola in 1753 and he assigned this species to it as Pyrola secunda.  Constantine Rafinesque created the genus Orthilia in 1840, and Homer House (1878-1949) reassigned the species shown on this page to this genus as Orthilia secunda.  The Greek "ortho" ("straight") refers to the style and "secunda" means "side-flowering", i.e., flowers are on one side of the flowering stem.

See also Pyrola rotundifolia.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands. Summer.
Winter Trail, July 10, 2009.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands. Summer.
Kilpacker Trail, July 17, 2006.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Moneses uniflora

Range map for Orthilia secunda