Gaultheria humifusa
Encyclopedia
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
which, after pollination
, mature into bright to dull red berrylike fruit capsules. The leaves and fruit of Gaultheria humifusa are edible.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
in the heath family
Ericaceae
The Ericaceae, commonly known as the heath or heather family, is a group of mostly calcifuge flowering plants. The family is large, with roughly 4000 species spread across 126 genera, making it the 14th most speciose family of flowering plants...
which is known by the common names alpine wintergreen and alpine spicy wintergreen. It is native to western North America, from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, where it grows in moist subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
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
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
which, after pollination
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
, mature into bright to dull red berrylike fruit capsules. The leaves and fruit of Gaultheria humifusa are edible.
See also
- WintergreenWintergreenWintergreen is a group of plants. Wintergreen once commonly referred to plants that continue photosynthesis throughout the winter...
s - Gaultheria procumbens - eastern teaberry, checkerberry, boxberry or American wintergreen
- Gaultheria ovatifoliaGaultheria ovatifoliaGaultheria 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...
- western teaberry or Oregon spicy wintergreen