Gaultheria

Gaultheria is a genus of about 170-180 species of shrubs in the family Ericaceae. The name memorializes M. Hugues Gauthier of Quebec, a mis-spelt honour bestowed by the Scandinavian Pehr Kalm in 1748. These plants are native to Asia, North and South America, and Australasia. In the past, the Southern Hemisphere species were often treated in a separate genus Pernettya; however, there is no consistent reliable morphological or genetic difference to support recognition of two genera, and they are now united in the single genus Gaultheria.

The species vary from low, ground-hugging shrubs less than 10 cm tall, up to 2.5 m tall, or, in the case of Gaultheria fragrantissima from the Himalaya, even a small tree up to 5-6 m tall. The leaves are evergreen, alternate (opposite in Gaultheria oppositifolia from New Zealand), simple, and vary between species from 0.3-10 cm long; the margins are finely serrated or bristly in most species, but entire in some. The flowers are solitary or in racemes, bell-shaped, with a five-lobed corolla; flower colour ranges from white to pink to red. The fruit is a fleshy berry in many species, a dry capsule in some, with numerous small seeds.


USES
Several species are grown as ornamental shrubs in gardens, particularly G. mucronata from southern Chile and Gaultheria shallon (Salal) from the Pacific Northwest of North America. The fruit of many species is edible, though insipid in flavour so not extensively eaten. However, it is possible to make a strong minty tea from the leaves. There are several recipes available on the internet that involve fermenting the leaves to draw out the wintergreen taste.


Selected species
Gaultheria mucronata is a species of plant. It produces purple plum shaped fruits. While the fruits are edible, they are tasteless. This species is grown mainly as an ornamental plant. It is frost tolerant.

Gaultheria ovatifolia is a species of shrub in the heath family which is known by the common names western teaberry and Oregon spicy wintergreen. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in high mountain forests. This is a small, low shrub with stems only about 35 centimeters in maximum length. The pointed, oval-shaped leaves are 2 to 3 centimeters long and green. The plant bears small, solitary bell-shaped flowers in shades of white to very light pink with reddish bracts. The flowers hang like tiny bells. The fruit is a red berrylike capsule. It was a food for the Hoh and Quileute of the Pacific Northwest.

Gaultheria procumbens (Eastern Teaberry, Checkerberry, Boxberry or American Wintergreen) is a species of Gaultheria native to northeastern North America from Newfoundland west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Alabama. It is a small low-growing shrub, typically reaching 10–15 cm tall. The leaves are evergreen, elliptic to ovate, 2–5 cm long and 1–2 cm broad, with a distinct oil of wintergreen scent. The flowers are bell-shaped, 5 mm long, white, borne solitary or in short racemes. The fruit is an edible bright red berry 6–9 mm diameter.

Gaultheria shallon - Salal or shallon is a leathery-leaved shrub native to western North America. Its dark blue "berries" are edible and are efficient appetite suppressants, with a unique flavor. Salal berries were a significant food resource for native people, who both ate them fresh and dried them into cakes. They were also used as a sweetener, and the Haida used them to thicken salmon eggs. The leaves of the plant were also sometimes used to flavor fish soup.

Gaultheria humifusa is a species of shrub in the heath family which is known by the common names alpine wintergreen and alpine spicy wintergreen. It is native to western North America, from British Columbia to California to Colorado, where it grows in moist subalpine mountain forests. It is a low, spreading shrub which may be quite small, forming flat patches on the ground or amongst rock and leaf litter. The stems are less than 20 centimeters in length and have small oval-shaped leaves one to two centimeters long. It bears solitary bell-shaped flowers with white to light pink corollas and golden anthers. The fruit is a bright to dull red berrylike capsule.

Gaultheria lanigera is a species of Gaultheria, native to the Andes in Colombia and Ecuador. It is an evergreen shrub, confined to high altitudes.

Gaultheria adenothrix

Gaultheria antarctica

Gaultheria antipoda

Gaultheria caudata

Gaultheria codonantha

Gaultheria insana

Gaultheria itoana

Gaultheria lanceolata

Gaultheria cumingiana

Gaultheria cuneata

Gaultheria myrsinoides

Gaultheria nummularioides

Gaultheria oppositifolia

Gaultheria depressa

Gaultheria macrostigma

Gaultheria miqueliana

Gaultheria eriophylla

Gaultheria forrestii

Gaultheria pumila

Gaultheria pyroloides

Gaultheria semi-infera

Gaultheria fragrantissima

Gaultheria hirtiflora

Gaultheria parvula

Gaultheria phillyreifolia

Gaultheria renjifoana

Gaultheria rupestris

Gaultheria hispida

Gaultheria hispidula

Gaultheria hookeri

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