Erect shrub 0.3-5 m tall;  mature stems terete, glabrous, striate;  bark exfoliating in small rectangular strips, reddish-brown;  twigs subterete, tomentose-lanate with fulvous, canescent to ferruginous, eglandular hairs to 4 mm long;  buds ovate, scales reddish-brown, ciliolate and short, white tomentose. Leaves coriaceous, ovate, oblong, elliptic-oblong, elliptic-ovate, to elliptic, 3-8.5(-12.5) x (1.4-)2-4.5(-5.5) cm, base rounded, truncate and subcordate, obtuse to acute, or cuneate, apex rounded, obtuse, or acute, ultimately abruptly ending in a very distinct, blunt, mucro 1-2(-3) mm long, margin entire to somewhat serrate in apical third, glabrous above or punctate by persistent swollen bases of a caducous tomentum, or persistently tomentose along midrib and lateral nerves, tomentose-lanate beneath with fulvous, reddish or ferruginous, basally swollen, eglandular, mostly persistent hairs, but sometimes  labrate; midrib and lateral nerves (4-6 per side) impressed above and raised beneath, leaf surface then sometimes bullate, reticulate veinlets slightly raised or impressed above, raised beneath;  petiole subterete, flattened or somewhat canaliculate above, 2-5(-7) mm long, tomentose-lanate.  Inflorescence racemose, (10-)15-20(-25)-flowered, sterile basal bracts striate, ovate to oblong-obovate, to 5 x 3 mm, ciliolate;  rachis subterete, complanate, (3.5-)5-8(-14) cm long, sparsely white puberulent and also densely to moderately tomentose-villous-lanate with fulvous or reddish to ferruginous, eglandular or rarely minutely gland-tipped hairs;  pedicels subterete, complanate, 5-8(-10) mm long, lengthening to 15 mm long after anthesis, pubescent as rachis;  bracteoles located along basal third of pedicel, often spreading to reflexed, linear to linear-ovate, (2-)3-4(-5) mm long, acuminate, dorsally densely to sparsely strigose with ferruginous, eglandular or rarely gland-tipped hairs, glabrate, ventrally glabrous;  floral bracts subcoriaceous, often spreading to reflexed, cochleariform, striate, ovate to oblong-obovate, (3.5-)6-10(-12) x 2-4(-5) mm, acute to acuminate, pubescent as bracteoles.  Flowers with calyx 3.5-4.5 mm long, lobes ovate, 2-2.5 x 1.5-2 mm, acuminate, densely tomentose-villous-lanate without, with ferruginous, crisped (minutely gland-tipped) hairs, short-pilose within;  corolla urceolate, 5-7 x 4-5 mm, tomentose-villous-lanate without, with hairs as on calyx, short-pilose within, white, rose to rose-red, or  reddish-pink when fresh, lobes oblong, obtuse;  stamens 3-4.3 mm long, somewhat alternately unequal;  filaments 2.6-3.4 mm long, moderately long-pilose;  anthers 1-1.6 mm long, awns conspicuous;  ovary densely short-pilose;  style 3-4 mm long, glabrous.  Fruiting calyx globose, 6-10 mm diam., sparsely strigose-villous at tips of calyx lobes, blue-black.  Chromosome number: n=11, 2n=22 (var. mucronata, Luteyn & Dorr 13645).

     Distribution (Map).  Southern Peru-N Bolivia, and south-eastern Brazil at elevations of (950-)1600-2250(-3000) m.  Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.
 

                Key to the Varieties of Gaultheria eriophylla

1.  Lamina ovate to elliptic-ovate, apex acute to obtuse (rarely
     rounded);  indumentum ferruginous- to reddish-tomentose;  SE Brazil
                             .................................................................  var. eriophylla
1.  Lamina oblong to elliptic-oblong, apex rounded (rarely broadly
     acute);  indumentum fulvous- or canescent-tomentose;  S Peru-N
     Bolivia    ........ .................................................................  var. mucronata
 

Gaultheria eriophylla (Persoon) Sleumer ex Burtt var. eriophylla.  Illustration: Bot. Mag., N.S. 170: t. 254.  1955.   Image:  Habit.

Gaultheria ferruginea Chamisso & Schlechtendal, Linnaea 1: 524.  1826. Brossea ferruginea (Chamisso & Schlechtendal) O. Kuntze, Revis. gen pl. 2: 388.  1891.  Type.  Brazil tropica, Sellow s.n. (lectotype designated by Luteyn, 1995, HAL;  isolectotype, W).  The holotype was destroyed at B, but is represented in photo by F neg. 4747 and fragments at F (ex B).  Other Sellow collections which may be isotypes are found at E, G-DC, and UPS.

Andromeda hirsuta Vellozo, Fl. flumin. 175.  1829;  Fl. flumin. icones 4, tab. 99.  1831.  No type given but the plate may serve this function.

Gaultheria willisiana R. C. Davie, J. Bot. 55: 219.  1917.  Type. Brazil.  Rio de Janeiro:  Above Rio Bengala, nr. Novo Friburgo, 13 Sep 1914 (fl), Davie 156 (holotype, E).

     Distribution (Map).  Endemic to SE Brazil at elevations of (950-)1600-2250(-2450) m.  Apparently locally abundant on rocky hills, in montane forest or scrub, moist valleys, "barancos," and "campo limpio."

    Cultivated:  E, K, NY.
 

Gaultheria eriophylla (Persoon) Sleumer ex Burtt var. mucronata (Remy) Luteyn, Brittonia 41: 15.  1989.  Gaultheria mucronata Remy, Ann. Sci. Nat. III, 8: 232.  1847, non Hooker & Arnott (1834), nec Philippi (1858).  Brossea mucronata (Remy) O. Kuntze, Rev. gen. pl. 2: 388. 1891. Gaultheria remyana A. C. Smith, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 29: 347. 1950.  Type.  Bolivia. "Yungas et Yuracares," Pentland 196-201 (lectotype designated by Luteyn, 1995, P;  isolectotype, OXF;  probable isolectotypes, F frag., photo F neg. 38262, K, OXF).  Syntype, D'Orbigny 265, P.  Images:  Habit.  Inflorescence.

     Shrub to small tree, (0.6-)2-4(-5) m tall;  indumentum fulvous- to canescent-tomentose.  Leaves oblong to elliptic-oblong, apex rounded  (broadly acute).  Pedicels 4-5 mm long;  bracteoles 2.5-3.5 mm long;  floral bracts 3.5-5(-7.5) mm long.

     Distribution (Map).  Endemic from S Peru (Cuzco) to N Bolivia (La Paz) at elevations of (1000-)1800-2400(-3000) m.  Found in moist, shaded places, forest edges, and cleared (somewhat dry) slopes.