Gaultheria tomentosa Kunth

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Gaultheria tomentosa Kunth

  • Primary Citation

    Nov. Gen. Sp. (Kunth) 3: 287. pl. 262. 1819

  • Common Names

    duraznillo, galoruro, shamsque, huevo de gallo

  • Description

    Description: Erect shrub (0.2-)0.5-4 m tall; mature stems subterete, glabrate; bark reddish- to yellowish-brown, cracking in longitudinal strips; twigs subterete, densely floccose-tomentose with canescent to ferruginous, eglandular hairs, 1-2 mm long; buds ovate, complanate, scales reddish-brown, striate, glabrous but ciliolate. Leaves coriaceous, ovate to ovate-elliptic, (1.2-)2.5-5(-7.5) x 0.6-1.4(-2.4) cm, length/width ratio 3-5:1, base obtuse to narrowly rounded or cuneate, apex long-acuminate to acute and bluntly short-mucronate, margin entire but slightly revolute, glabrous or glabrate to sparsely floccose-tomentose above along main veins when mature, persistently floccose-tomentose beneath with canescent, brownish, or ferruginous, eglandular hairs; midrib, lateral nerves (4-6 per side), and reticulate veinlets impressed and conspicuous above, raised but mostly obscure beneath; petiole subterete, slightly canaliculate above, (2-)3-4 mm long, floccose-tomentose, glabrate. Inflorescence racemose, (4-)7-12-flowered, all exterior parts including rachis, pedicels, bracts, bracteoles, calyces, and corollas obscured by persistently lanate-villose to floccose-tomentose, canescent to ferruginous, eglandular hairs, basal inflorescence bracts ovate, striate, to 4 mm long; rachis subterete (2.5-)3.5-6(-8) cm long; pedicels 3-4(-6) mm long; bracteoles basal or within one-third of base, aristate to linear, ca. 2(-6) mm long, sometimes glabrate; floral bracts keeled, striate, ovate, 4-6(-10) x 2-2.5 mm, acuminate (glabrate). Flowers with calyx 3-5 mm long, lobes ovate, 1.5-3 x 1.5-2 mm, acute, glabrous within; corolla cylindric-urceolate, ca. 4-7 x 3-4(-5) mm, glabrous within, pink to rose-red at base with ferruginous indumentum, lobes oblong-ovate, obtuse; stamens 3-4.5 mm long, apparently alternately unequal; filaments 2.3-3.6 mm long, sparsely short-pilose to densely tomentose at apex; anther ca. 1.2 mm long, awns conspicuous; style 3-4 mm long, glabrous. Fruiting calyx globose, 6-10 mm diam., sparsely tomentose, blue-black. Chromosome number: n=11, 2n=22 (Luteyn & Cotton 11406).

    Distribution: Central Ecuador to southern Peru where the plants inhabit dwarf and cloud forest, wooded slopes, páramo thickets, matorales, and disturbed forest and roadside slopes at elevations of (2450-)2700-3400 m. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

    Type: Ecuador. Loja: Páramo de Saraguro, between Loja and Nabón, 2520 m, Aug (fl), Humboldt s.n. (holotype, P, photo NY s.n.; probable isotypes, F, US). Possible isotypes include the following, Humboldt s.n. (HAL) and Humboldt 3302 (B-Willd. no. 8294, photo NY s.n.).

    Illustration: Hooker's Icones pl. 4: tab. 393. 1841.

    Common names: Ecuador: duraznillo (Azuay and Cañar); Peru: shamsque (Amazonas); laurel (Junín)

    Uses: According to Prieto P-101 (Ecuador) the fruit is "sweet pulpy" and is eaten by small children.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Gaultheria tomentosa Kunth: [Article] Luteyn, James L., et al. 1995. Ericaceae, Part II. The Superior-Ovaried Genera (Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Rhododendroideae, and Vaccinioideae P.P.). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 560.