Gaultheria ovatifolia A.Gray

Western teaberry (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Ericales > Ericaceae > Gaultheria

Characteristics

Shrubs, spreading, not mat-forming, rhizomatous; adven-titious roots absent. Stems decumbent, branches ascending to erect, (reddish), 15-30 cm, lanate (hairs white to brownish), sometimes glabrescent. Leaf blades broadly ovate to subcordate, 2-4 cm, base rounded to cordate, margins crenulate to serrate, apex acute to, rarely, rounded, surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences axillary, solitary flowers; bracts reddish, ovate, 1-1.5 mm, not exceeding sepals, sparsely hairy. Pedicels green or red tinged, 1-1.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy; bracteoles 2-6 (in pairs), dark green or red tinged, ovate, 1-2 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Flowers: sepals 5, connate basally, reddish, ovate, 1.5-2 mm, lanate-hairy; petals 5, connate nearly their entire lengths, white to pinkish, 3-4 mm, glabrous, corolla urceolate to campanulate, lobes 1 mm; filaments conspicuously wider proximally (base with rounded, auriclelike projections), glabrous; anthers without awns, dehiscent by terminal pores. Fruits bright red, 5-7 mm wide.
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A small sprawling plant. It grows 20 cm high and spreads 1 m wide. The leaves are 2-5 cm long and glossy. They are pointed at the tips. The flowers are pink or greenish-white and have 5 lobes. They are 3-4 mm wide. The fruit are 6 mm across.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 1.0
Mature height (meter) 0.15 - 0.2
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Relatively dry, mixed hardwood and coniferous forests, damp streamsides and moist soils, rocky slopes; at elevations from 300-1,600 metres.Various habitats from fairly dry yellow pine forests to sub-alpine bogs.
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It is a temperate plant. It does best in sheltered and shady places. It is cold hardy and grows in cool places.
Light 3-6
Soil humidity 5-7
Soil texture 3-6
Soil acidity 1-6
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 5-8

Usage

The fruit are eaten raw or cooked. They are spicy. They are also stewed and made into a sauce.
Uses -
Edible fruits
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs stratification.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) 30 - 60
Germination temperacture (C°) 18 - 21
Germination luminosity light
Germination treatment stratification
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Gaultheria ovatifolia unspecified picture

Distribution

Gaultheria ovatifolia world distribution map, present in Canada and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:330641-1
WFO ID wfo-0000695318
COL ID 6JZCP
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Gaultheria ovatifolia