gaultheria

gaultheria [gôl thir′ē ə]

n.

〚ModL, after M. Gaulthier, 18th-c. Cdn physician〛

any of a large genus (Gaultheria) of evergreen shrubs of the heath family, including various wintergreens and the salal

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▪ plant genus

 genus of 235 species of upright or prostrate evergreen shrubs, of the heath family (Ericaceae), occurring in North and South America, Asia, Malesia, Australia, and New Zealand. The plants are distinguished by usually alternate, ovate leaves, white or pink flowers, and round fruit that contains numerous minute seeds. Most plants have dry fruits, but these are completely surrounded by the sepals, which are fleshy and white or pink. A few species, previously placed in the genus Pernettya, have berries. G. shallon, the salal or lemonleaf of florists, is a slender, diffuse shrub of the California redwood forests; it grows 0.3–1.8 metres (1–6 feet) tall and has dark-purple edible fruits. G. procumbens, commonly known as checkerberry, teaberry, or wintergreen, is a creeping shrub with white, bell-shaped flowers, spicy red fruits, and shiny, aromatic leaves. G. hispidula, or creeping snowberry, is a mat-forming evergreen with small, pointed leaves that give a spicy odour when crushed.

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