Twin Flower

The twin flower (Linnaea borealis) is a small evergreen plant in the honeysuckle family, and it is the only species in its genus. Its slender stems creep along the ground, typically 20 to 40 centimeters long, with small rounded leaves. The flowering stems rise 4 to 8 centimeters above them and usually carry a pair of pale pink flowers that hang down, which is where the name comes from.

In 1753, Carl Linnaeus formally described the plant in Species Plantarum. The genus name had been used earlier by the Dutch botanist Jan Frederik Gronovius in honor of Linnaeus, and it stuck because this was his favorite plant. When he was raised to the Swedish nobility in 1757, he took it as his personal symbol. It is also the provincial flower of Småland, the province where he was born.

The twin flower grows in moist forests across the cold northern parts of Europe, Asia and North America, and further south in the mountains (e.g., the Alps). It spreads by creeping stems and forms patches that are all the same plant, though it needs pollen from a different plant to make viable seed. Basically, a patch on its own may never produce any. In Great Britain it is listed as “nationally scarce” and is found at only about 50 sites, mostly in the woods around the Cairngorms.

Note

The twin flower is such a neat flower, growing two flowers for each stem. I don’t know why that’s so appealing to me, but it is. I wish, though, the design of these stamps were better, less watercolor or cartoonish.

Contains 17 spots: own 17 – 17 unused, 0 used.
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Album or Web Page Last changed Mar 7, 2025

Stamp Details

The table below lists information about the stamps shown on this page of Lighthouse’s stamp album. For more details about a particular stamp, click on its description. That will take you to the related web page of Colnect.

spot

own

catalog

subject

description

comment

Flowers & Blossoms

1.1	✓	2664	Harlequin Lupine	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
1.2	✓	2665	Twinflower	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
1.3	✓	2666	Common Sunflower	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
1.4	✓	2667	Sego Lily	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
2.1	✓	2668	Virginia Bluebell	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
2.2	✓	2669	Ohi’a Lehua	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
2.3	✓	2670	Rosebud Orchid	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
2.4	✓	2671	Showy Evening Primrose	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
2.5	✓	2672	Fringed Gentian	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
3.1	✓	2673	Yellow Lady’s Slipper	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
3.2	✓	2674	Passion Flower	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
3.3	✓	2675	Bunchberry	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
3.4	✓	2676	Pasqueflower	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
4.1	✓	2677	Round-lobed Hepatica	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
4.2	✓	2678	Wild Columbine	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
4.3	✓	2679	Fireweed	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor
4.4	✓	2680	Indian Pond Lily	29c (jul 1992) comm., multicolor

Footnotes

Spot refers to the postion of the stamp on the album page (e.g., 3.2 indicates row 3, position 2).
Amt. is an abbreviation for the face amount of the stamp.
Own indicates the stamp status: ✓ for unused; ✗ for used or canceled; ⭑ signifies I ordered one; ; ✨ indicates it was bought recently; ✠ means an auction bid is pending; and ◎ is used, and it costs too much for unused.
To search by catalog number, go to the search box and enter it in the catalog number box. However, it’s a bit broken; I need to fix it.