Gaultheria serrata (Vell.) Sleumer ex Kin.-Gouv.

Description

Description: Erect shrub 0.3-1.5 m tall; mature stems terete to subterete, often conspicuously striate or ridged, glabrous or sometimes with stout, gland-tipped, basally swollen setae to 0.3 mm long (or also moderately to densely hirsute with spreading to ascending, basally swollen, straight to crisped, ferruginous, eglandular hairs to 3.5 mm long), glabrate but then scabrous (± punctate) due to remnant hair bases; bark thin, cracking longitudinally, reddish-brown; twigs terete to subterete, striate, glabrous to densely white puberulent (also hirsute as on stems); buds ovate, complanate, ca. 2 mm long, scales striate, ciliolate. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic, oblong to ovate-elliptic, (1.5-)3-5.5(-7) x (1-)2-2.5(-3.5) cm, base rounded or obtuse, apex rounded to acute and shortly and bluntly mucronate, margin shallowly crenate with each tooth terminating in a hair similar to those on twigs but to 2 mm long; midrib, lateral nerves (3-4 per side), and reticulate veinlets conspicuous, slightly raised or slightly impressed above, raised beneath, both surfaces hirsute to ± strigose pubescent with deciduous or persistent hairs similar to those on twigs but the eglandular setae to 1.5 mm long and the gland-tipped setae to 0.1 mm long, leaves appearing punctate after these hairs fall; petiole subterete, shallowly canaliculate to conspicuously and narrowly sulcate above, rugose, 2.5-5(-7) mm long, glabrous or hirsute on both surfaces (short-pilose or short-glandular pubescent above). Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 7-15(-20)-flowered; rachis subterete, striate, 3-6(-7) cm long, surrounded at base by numerous, ovate to oblong, acute, subcoriaceous, ciliate bracts to 4 mm long, moderately to densely white puberulent (also moderately to densely hirsute with eglandular, setose hairs similar to those on stems and to 2 mm long), or with minutely gland-tipped, stout or thin setae to about 1 mm long; pedicels terete, striate, 6-10 mm long, moderately to densely puberulent, also densely hirsute as rachis; bracteoles nearly basal, subcoriaceous, ± cochleariform, ovate, striate, 4-5 x 2-4 mm, acute to acuminate, surface glabrous, ciliate; floral bract subcoriaceous, ascending or slightly spreading, cochleariform, ovate, oblong to obovate, striate, 6-10 x 5-7 mm, rounded to acute or acuminate, glabrous or sometimes short-strigose dorsally but also ciliolate. Flowers with calyx 4-6 mm long, glabrous to weakly pilose within and without, lobes ovate, 3-5 x 2-3 mm, acuminate, glabrous to densely short-pilose and ciliate (also moderately short-strigose); corolla urceolate, ± terete to weakly bluntly 5-angled, 6-8(-9) x 5-6 mm, moderately to densely short-pilose without and within (also short-hirsute to strigose along angles), pink when fresh, lobes ovate, ca. 1 mm long, obtuse, reflexed; stamens 4.3-5.5 mm long; filaments 3.5-4.3 mm long, densely short-pilose; anthers 1.3-2 mm long, awns conspicuous; ovary densely short-pilose; style 4.5-5 mm long (short-pilose basally or ± over entire length). Fruiting calyx ca. 7 mm diam.

Distribution: Mountains of eastern Brazil, from Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais (Serra do Caparaó) to Santa Catarina, at elevations of 1000-2800 m. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Type: Brazil: "Campis apricis ad verticem Alpium Fluminensium" [Serra do Mar?]. Lectotypification is by p.174 of the text of Florae Fluminensis and the plate t. 95 of the Icones vol. 4 (cf. Stafleu & Cowan, 1986, p. 698).

Key to the Varieties of Gaultheria serrata: 1. Stems and twigs generally glabrous or sometimes with stout, gland-tipped setae 0.1-0.2 mm long; rachis and pedicels puberulent only or sparsely hirsute with stout or thin, minutely gland-tipped setae to 1 mm long ............... var. serrata 1. Stems especially young twigs, rachises, and pedicels hirsute with setose, eglandular hairs to 3.5 mm long (rachis and pedicels may be puberulent too) ........... var. organensis