Botanizing in Alaska: Twin-Flower

This plant was found growing on my fiancé's father's property. It goes by the name Twin-Flower (Linnaea borealis) due to the tiny paired flowers it produces. The flowers are short-lived, making it lucky that I was able to find and photograph this specimen. By the end of my week in Alaska, every flower in the patch had fallen.

The plant grows as a woody vine, growing up to a couple meters long. It doesn't climb like most vines, however. The plant spreads out into a wide mat, with each branch growing new roots periodically. It likes to grow under conifers, and is often found overgrown with mosses.


References:

• http://www.arkive.org/twinflower/linnaea-borealis/ 
• http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=libo3