Gaultheria tetramera
Common name:
Si lie bai zhu (Chinese)
Pronunciation:
gawl-THEE-ree-a te-trah-ME-ruh
Family:
Ebenaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Broadleaved erect evergreen shrub, occasionally procumbent, usually 30-40 inches [80-100 cm] tall; twigs cylindrical, with stiff hairs. Leaves alternate, simple, broadly elliptic to lanceolate or obovate, 3-7 cm long and 1-2.5 cm wide, leathery, base wedge-shaped (cuneate), tip acute, distinctly mucronate (tipped with a small, sharp point), margin bristly-serrate, upper surface smooth, lower surface has scattered stiff hairs and later short bumps or projections (papillose). Flowers four-parted (i.e., tetramera), urn-shaped, white tinged with green, about 5 mm, 8-10 stamens; flowers usually in axillary clusters (2-10 flowered), 2.5 cm long, appear in late spring. Fruit rounded, 6 mm diam., blue-purple, with bloom.
- Sun or part shade
- Hardy to USDA Zone 7 Native to southeast Tibet and China's western Yunnan province
- tetramera: apparently a reference to the 4-parted flowers
- Federal Way, Washington: Rhododendron Species Foundation and Botanical Garden,
Click image to enlarge
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plant habit, fruiting
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leaves and fruit
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leaves
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fruit cluster
