Myrica gale L.

Shrubs , deciduous, much branched, to 1.5(-2) m. Branchlets purple-black, gland-dotted, glands brownish yellow. Leaf blade oblanceolate to obovate, 1.5-6.5 × 0.5-1.5 cm, ± leathery, base cuneate, margins usually minutely serrate, with 1-4 pairs of teeth usually restricted to distal 1/3 of blade, occasionally entire throughout, apex rounded or obtuse; surfaces abaxially pale green, glabrous to densely pilose, adaxially dark green, glabrous to pilose, both surfaces variously gland-dotted; glands bright yellow to orange. Inflorescences: staminate ca. 1-1.5 cm; pistillate to 1.5 cm. Flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate mostly on different plants, occasionally on same plants. Staminate flowers: bract of each flower longer than stamens, stamens mostly 3-5. Pistillate flowers: bracteoles 2, accrescent and adnate to base of fruit wall, laterally compressed, glabrous but gland-dotted; ovary glabrous. Fruits ovoid, flattened, 2.5-3 mm; fruit wall smooth (no protuberances), without waxy deposit, with glandular deposit, enclosed by spongy bracteoles. 2 n = ca. 96.

It is a temperate plant. It grows in bogs and swamps. It can grow in acid soils. In Sikkim it grows up to 1,725 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 3-9.

The leaves are used as a pot herb. They are bitter tasting. They can be used to flavour soups, stews and meats. They have also been used to flavour beer and increase foaming. The dried fruit are used to make tea. Caution: The plant should not be used by pregnant women.

Plants can be grown from seeds.