Gaultheria griffithiana Wight

Shrubs, rarely small trees, 0.5–3(–4) m tall, stout. Twigs terete or narrowly winged, ± flexuous, glabrous. Leaves scattered; petiole 5–10 mm, glabrous; leaf blade oblong, elliptic, or lanceolate-oblong, 6–17 × 2–6 cm, thickly leathery, abaxially densely punctate, adaxially glabrous, veins 3 or 4 pairs, fine veins raised on both surfaces, base broadly cuneate to subcordate, margin closely serrulate, apex caudate-acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, racemose, clustered, 2–6 cm, many flowered, pubescent or lanuginose; bracts ovate to orbicular-ovate, 2–7 mm, abaxially glabrous or densely sericeous. Pedicel 3–9 mm; bracteoles 2, usually submedian to near basal, ovate, 1.5–3 mm, abaxially glabrous, ciliolate. Calyx lobes triangular-ovate, 1.5–3 mm, ciliolate, apex obtuse to acute. Corolla white, light pink, or pale green, 5–7 mm, campanulate, abaxially glabrous; lobes recurved, very short. Filaments rhombic, 1.5–2 mm, papillate; anthers 1–1.5 mm, thecae 2-awned. Ovary sericeous. Calyx at fruiting dark purple, fleshy; capsule globose, 4–6 mm in diam. Fl. Apr–Jun, fr. May–Oct. 2n = ca. 44.

E. Himalaya (Nepal to Bhutan), Assam, N. Burma.

SW Sichuan, SE Xizang, SE and W Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India (Darjiling), Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, Vietnam].

2500-3000 m

Abies, Pinus, Quercus, Rhododendron, and Tsuga forests, Tsuga forest margins, thickets on slopes; 2000–2800(–3600) m.