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Eastern Teaberry

Gaultheria procumbens L.

Associations

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Foodplant / mycorrhiza / endomycorrhiza
mycelium of Oidiodendron maius is endomycorrhizal with live root of Gaultheria procumbens

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Common Names

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term: shrub

eastern teaberry
teaberry
wintergreen


TAXONOMY:
The scientific name of eastern teaberry is Gaultheria
procumbens L. (Ericaceae) [18]. There are no infrataxa.


LIFE FORM:
Shrub

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS:
No special status

OTHER STATUS:
NO-ENTRY




DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Gaultheria procumbens
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:
Eastern teaberry occurs from Newfoundland and New England south in the
mountains to Georgia and west to Minnesota [13,32].
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bibliographic citation
Coladonato, Milo. 1994. Gaultheria procumbens. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Distribution

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
Eastern teaberry occurs from Newfoundland and New England south in the
mountains to Georgia and west to Minnesota [13,32].



Distribution of eastern teaberry. Map courtesy of USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database.
National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC [2018, July 13] [61].

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bibliographic citation
Coladonato, Milo. 1994. Gaultheria procumbens. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Key Plant Community Associations

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: bog, codominant, forest, hardwood, shrub

Eastern teaberry is commonly found in the understory of pine (Pinus spp.) and
hardwood forests of New England.  In western Nova Scotia and the Great
Lake States, it occurs in jack pine (P. banksiana) and spruce-larch
(Picea spp.-Larix spp.) forests [4,20,53,59].  It is a common understory
species in maple-oak (Acer spp.-Quercus spp.) forests of upper Michigan
[52].  It is a dominant understory shrub of oak-poplar/fern (Quercus
spp.-Populus spp./Pteridium spp.) communities of southern New York [60].

Eastern teaberry is named as a dominant or codominant understory species in
the following classifications:

Habitat classification system field guide:  northern Lake States Region
  (Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northeast Wisconsin) [8]
Forest-type studies in the Adirondack Region [19]
Field guide to forest habitat types of northern Wisconsin [21]
Vegetation of the Great Smoky Mountains [42]

Understory species commonly associated with eastern teaberry include
huckleberries (Gaylussacia spp.), blueberries (Vaccinium spp.),
raspberries (Rubus spp.), grapes (Vitis spp.), mountain-laurel (Kalmia
latifolia), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), witchhazel
(Hamamelis virginiana), bog Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum),
partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), and lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum
canadense), [7,24,35,42].
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bibliographic citation
Coladonato, Milo. 1994. Gaultheria procumbens. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Life Form

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term: shrub

Shrub
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cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Coladonato, Milo. 1994. Gaultheria procumbens. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Management considerations

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: fruit, shrubs

Eastern teaberry is ordinarily plentiful in the woodlands of the Northeast,
and no special care is needed to perpetuate it.  Seedlings or clones are
established by plantings beneath taller shrubs or in other partially
shaded sites.  When plants have established, fruit production is
stimulated by thinning timber stands and removing overtopping vegetation
[32].

Eastern teaberry can be controlled by phenoxy herbicides [32].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Coladonato, Milo. 1994. Gaultheria procumbens. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Phenology

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More info on this topic.

More info for the term: fruit

Eastern teaberry flowers from the end of May to September depending on
geographic location [10,37].  In Illinois, eastern teaberry flowers initiated
during June open in mid-July, with the fruit maturing in September [45].
In New Jersey and Penn Sylvia, the flowering period is from mid-July
through early August [55].  The leaves usually persist throughout the
winter [27,32].  The fruit may remain attached till the following spring
[45].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Coladonato, Milo. 1994. Gaultheria procumbens. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Post-fire Regeneration

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: fire regime, rhizome, secondary colonizer, seed

   Rhizomatous low woody plant, rhizome in organic mantle
   Secondary colonizer - off-site seed


FIRE REGIMES:
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in
which this species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under "Find FIRE REGIMES".
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Coladonato, Milo. 1994. Gaultheria procumbens. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Taxonomy

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
The scientific name of eastern teaberry is Gaultheria
procumbens L. (Ericaceae) [18]. There are no infrataxa.
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Coladonato, Milo. 1994. Gaultheria procumbens. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Comprehensive Description

provided by North American Flora
Gaultheria procumbens L. Sp. PI. 395. 1753
A low glabrous or minutely pubescent shrub, with creeping stems (rootstocks), the branches erect or ascending, 3-15 mm. high, rarely branching, leafy at the top; leaf-blades leathery, oval or elliptic, varying to ovate or obovate, retuse or often apiculate, crenate or serrate with bristle-tipped teeth, deep-green or commonly variegated above, narrowed into short petioles; pedicels 4-8 mm. long, recurved, with 2 broadly ovate scales; calyx white, 3-4 mm. wide, the lobes ovate, acutish, ciliolate; corolla white, wax-like, ovoid, 6-9 mm. long, with a flat base, the tube constricted at the throat, the lobes ovate, obtuse, recurved, villous within; filaments densely villous; fruits subglobose, 7-11 mm. in diameter, bright-red or white, spicy.
Type locality: Canada.
Distribution: Newfoundland to Manitoba, Georgia, and Michigan.
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bibliographic citation
John Kunkel Small, NathanieI Lord Britton, Per Axel Rydberg, LeRoy Abrams. 1914. ERICALES, CLETHRACEAE, LENNOACEAE, PTROLACEAE, MONOTROPACEAE, ERICACEAE, UVA-URSI. North American flora. vol 29(1). New York Botanical Garden, New York, NY
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North American Flora

Gaultheria procumbens

provided by wikipedia EN

Gaultheria procumbens, also called the eastern teaberry, the checkerberry, the boxberry, or the American wintergreen, is a species of Gaultheria native to northeastern North America from Newfoundland west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Alabama.[1] It is a member of the Ericaceae (heath family).[2]

Growth and habitat

Flowers blooming in July in Vermont

G. procumbens is a small, low-growing shrub, typically reaching 10–15 cm (4–6 in) tall. The leaves are evergreen, elliptic to ovate, 2–5 cm (34–2 in) long and 1–2 cm (1234 in) broad, with a distinct oil of wintergreen scent.

The flowers are pendulous, with a white, sometimes pink-tinged,[3] bell-shaped corolla with five teeth at the tip 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long, and above it a white calyx. They are borne in leaf axils, usually one to three per stem. The anthers are forked somewhat like a snake's tongue, with two awns at the tip.[4]

The fruit is red and 6–9 mm (0.24–0.35 in) across.[4] It is an epigynous berry, with the majority of the flesh of the fruit being composed of the fleshy calyx.

The plant is a calcifuge, favoring acidic soil, in pine or hardwood forests, although it generally produces fruit only in sunnier areas.[5] It often grows as part of the heath complex in an oak–heath forest.[6][7][8]

G. procumbens spreads by means of long rhizomes, which are within the top 2–3 cm (341+14 in) of soil. Because of the shallow nature of the rhizomes, it does not survive most forest fires, but a brief or mild fire may leave rhizomes intact, from which the plant can regrow even if the above-ground shrub was consumed.[5]

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[9][10]

Edibility

The fruits of G. procumbens, considered its actual "teaberries", are edible, with a taste of mildly sweet wintergreen similar to the flavors of the Mentha varieties M. piperita (peppermint) and M. spicata (spearmint) even though G. procumbens is not a true mint. The leaves and branches make a fine herbal tea, through normal drying and infusion process. For the leaves to yield significant amounts of their essential oil, they need to be fermented for at least three days.[11] The berries and leaves contain methyl salicylate, a compound that is closely related to aspirin.[12]

Teaberry extract can be used to flavor tea, candy, medicine and chewing gum.[13] Teaberry is also a flavor of ice cream in regions where the plant grows. It likewise inspired the name of Clark's Teaberry chewing gum.

Wildlife value

Wintergreen is not taken in large quantities by any species of wildlife, but the regularity of its use enhances its importance. Its fruit persist through the winter, and it is one of the few sources of green leaves in winter. White-tailed deer browse wintergreen throughout its range, and in some localities it is an important winter food. Other animals that eat wintergreen are wild turkey, sharp-tailed grouse, northern bobwhite, ring-necked pheasant, black bear, white-footed mouse, and red fox. Wintergreen is a favorite food of the eastern chipmunk, and the leaves are a minor winter food of the gray squirrel in Virginia.[5]

Common names

Other common names for G. procumbens include American mountain tea, boxberry, Canada tea, canterberry, checkerberry, chickenberry, creeping wintergreen, deerberry, drunkards, gingerberry, greenberry, ground berry, ground tea, grouseberry, hillberry, mountain tea, one-berry, procalm, red pollom, spice berry, squaw vine, star berry, spiceberry, spicy wintergreen, spring wintergreen, teaberry, wax cluster, and youngsters.[9][14]

While this plant is sometimes mistakenly known as partridge berry,[15] that name more often refers to the ground cover Mitchella repens.

Traditional use

The plant has been used by various tribes of Native Americans for medicinal purposes.[16]

See also

Gallery

References

  1. ^ "Gaultheria procumbens". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2017-12-16.
  2. ^ Dwelley, Marilyn J. (1977). Summer & Fall Wildflowers of New England. Down East Enterprise, Inc. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-89272-020-0. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  3. ^ Chayka, Katy; Dziuk, Peter (2016). "Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen)". Minnesota Wildflowers.
  4. ^ a b Trock, Debra K. (2009). "Gaultheria procumbens". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 8. New York and Oxford – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  5. ^ a b c Coladonato, Milo (1994). "Gaultheria procumbens". Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
  6. ^ "Oak / Heath Forests". The Natural Communities of Virginia: Classification of Ecological Community Groups (Version 2.3). Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. 2010. Archived from the original on 2009-01-15.
  7. ^ Fleming, G. P.; Patterson, K. D.; Taverna, K. (2017). "Oak / Heath Forests". The Natural Communities of Virginia: Classification of Ecological Groups and Community Types (Version 3.0). Richmond: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  8. ^ Schafale, M. P.; Weakley, A. S. (1990). "Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina: third approximation". North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation.
  9. ^ a b "Gaultheria procumbens". RHS Gardening. Royal Horticultural Society. 2018.
  10. ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 39. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  11. ^ Gibbons, Euell (1966). Stalking the Healthful Herbs. New York: David McKay. p. 92.
  12. ^ Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982]. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 150. ISBN 978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC 244766414.
  13. ^ Niering, William A.; Olmstead, Nancy C. (1985) [1979]. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region. Knopf. p. 499. ISBN 0-394-50432-1.
  14. ^ Lust, John (1974). The Herb Book. Bantam Books. p. 404. ISBN 978-0-553-26770-9. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  15. ^ Hall, Joan Houston (2002). Dictionary of American Regional English. Harvard University Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-674-00884-7. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
  16. ^ Cichoke, Anthony J. (2001). "Secrets of Native American Herbal Remedies". Avery.

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Gaultheria procumbens: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

Gaultheria procumbens, also called the eastern teaberry, the checkerberry, the boxberry, or the American wintergreen, is a species of Gaultheria native to northeastern North America from Newfoundland west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Alabama. It is a member of the Ericaceae (heath family).

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Wikipedia authors and editors
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