Gaultheria humifusa (Graham) Rydb.
alpine-wintergreen (alpine spicywintergreen)
Ericaceae (Crowberry family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Virginia Skilton     (Photo ID #4834)

Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Gaultheria humifusa
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Species Information

General:
Low, trailing shrub, to 3 cm tall; stems prostrate or ascending, to 10 cm long, glabrous or finely-hairy, sometimes with longer, reddish hairs, not glandular.
Leaves:
Alternate, evergreen, leathery, broadly egg-shaped or oval to nearly elliptic, 1-2 (2.5) cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, rounded to blunt at tips, entire to inconspicuously toothed, margins thickened.
Flowers:
Solitary in leaf axils; flower stalks short, with 3-5 bractlets; corollas bell-shaped, 5-lobed, pinkish, 3-4 mm long; calyces glabrous, cleft to near the middle; stamens included, anthers opening by terminal pores, without awns.
Fruits:
Berrylike, reddish, globe-shaped, fleshy, 5-7 mm wide.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Gaultheria humifusa

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
 Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max
Elevation (metres)
 1641 622 2500
Slope Gradient (%)
 27 0 97

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

 200 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric] 		3 0 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
 B
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
 181
Modal BEC Zone Class
 ESSF

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

 AT(2), BWBS(1), CMA(1), CWH(8), ESSF(101), ICH(6), IMA(2), MH(32), MS(5), SBS(6)

Habitat and Range

Moist to wet streambanks and meadows in the subalpine and alpine zones; infrequent in S BC; E to S AB, and S to N CA and CO.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

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