Erect, rhizomatous, shrub, 0.1-0.5(-1) m tall, occurring in large, straggling colonies;  mature stems subterete, glabrate;  bark grayish, cracking irregularly into thin strips;  twigs subterete, complanate, densely lanate-villous with canescent to ferruginous, eglandular hairs to 6 mm long; buds ovate, complanate, scales reddish-brown, striate, glabrate.  Leaves rigidly coriaceous, sparsely to densely scabrous (pustular) above due to scattered minute papillae, ovate, elliptic to subrotund, conspicuously concave or strongly revolute lengthwise, 1-2.5(-3.5) x 0.4-2(-2.8) cm, base rounded, subcordate to cordate, apex acute to rounded (bluntly mucronate), entire but margin strongly revolute, glabrous to weakly short-pilose above (lanate but becoming glabrous in bud), densely tomentose-lanate beneath (obscuring surface) with ferruginous to chocolate-brown, eglandular hairs;  midrib and lateral nerves (ca. 3 per side) sometimes impressed above causing leaf surface to be bullate, raised but obscured by hairs beneath, reticulate veinlets plane to slightly raised or impressed above and obscure beneath;  petiole subterete, flattened above, 2-9 mm long, densely villous-lanate, often glabrate.  Inflorescence racemose, 2-10(-18)-flowered, bracteate basally;  rachis subterete, bluntly angled, 1-8 cm long, sparsely white puberulent and also densely tomentose-villous-lanate with reddish to ferruginous hairs;  pedicels subterete, 5-12 mm long, pubescent as rachis;  bracteoles basal or located along basal 1/3 of pedicel, subcoriaceous to membranous, somewhat cochleariform, ovate to linear-ovate, 3-6 mm long, acute to acuminate, dorsally strigose-lanate, glabrate, ventrally glabrous to pilose;  floral bracts subcoriaceous, cochleariform, striate, ovate-oblong, 4-8(-10) x 4-6 mm, acute to acuminate, pubescent as bracteoles.  Flowers with calyx 6-8 mm long, lobes ovate-triangular, 5-6 x 2.3-3 mm, acuminate, ciliolate, dorsally tomentose-villous-lanate, ventrally puberulent to glabrous;  corolla urceolate to cylindric-urceolate, 6-7.5(-9) x 4-6(-7) mm, tomentose-villous-lanate without, glabrous within, cream-colored to pale greenish-yellow or dark red, lobes ovate, obtuse or acute;  stamens 5-5.5 mm long;  filaments 3.2-4 mm long, densely pilose and also distally with a few rigid (swollen-headed) hairs along margins;  anthers 1.7-2.5 mm long, awns conspicuous;  ovary short-pilose or glabrous along sides and deciduously tomentose-lanate at apex;  style 4-5 mm long, glabrous to short-pilose basally.  Fruiting calyx 5-6 mm diam., blue-black.

     Distribution (Map).  Rare in the Cordillera Oriental of north-central Colombia and then again in south-central Ecuador at elevations of  (2800-)3000-3700 m.  Flowering and fruiting throughout the season.
 

                   Key to Varieties of Gaultheria lanigera

1.  Lamina concave, not revolute lengthwise, (1-)1.5-2.5(-3.5) x
     (0.8-)1.2-2(-2.8) cm; petiole 3-9 mm long;  inflorescence
     long-racemose, rachis 3-8 cm long, with 8-10(-18) flowers;
     floral bracts 6-8(-10) mm long;  bracteoles located in basal
     1/3 of pedicel, linear-ovate, 5-6 mm long;  corolla
     cream-colored to pale greenish-yellow;  Ecuador .........  var. lanigera
1.  Lamina strongly revolute lengthwise, 1-2 x 0.4-0.6(-1.2) cm;
     petiole 2-3 mm long;  inflorescence short-racemose, rachis about
     1 cm long, with 2-4 flowers; floral bracts 4-5 mm long;  bracteoles
     basal, ovate, ca. 3 mm long;  corolla dark red;  Colombia
     ...............................................................................  var. rufolanata
 

Gaultheria lanigera Hooker f. var. lanigera.  Images:  Habit.  Line-drawing.

Brossea lanigera (Hooker f.) O. Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. 2: 388.  1891.

     Distribution (Map).  Endemic to the dry, southern Ecuadorean scrub vegetation and shrub páramo where it is only known from the provinces of Azuay and adjacent northern Loja at elevations of (2800-)3000-3700 m.  Flowering and fruiting throughout the season.  Locally common.

     Common names and uses.  Ecuador:  jalo, sacha-chirimoya (Azuay).   The nectar is reported to be sweet.
 

Gaultheria lanigera Hooker f. var. rufolanata (Sleumer) Luteyn, Brittonia 41: 14. 1989.  Gaultheria rufolanata Sleumer, Notiz. Bot. Gart. Mus. Berlin-Dahlem 12:  127.  1934.  Type.  Colombia.  Cundinamarca:  Bogotá, Cerro de Guadeloupe, 3000 m, Apr 1929 (fl), Troll 3819 (holotype, B, destroyed;  isotypes, unknown).  Image:  Line-drawing.

     Leaves ovate, strongly revolute lengthwise with margins almost touching, not bullate, (0.6-)1-2 x 0.4-0.6(-1.2) cm;  petiole 2-3 mm long.  Inflorescence short-racemose, 2-4-flowered;  rachis ca. 1 cm long;  bracteoles basal, subcoriaceous, ovate, ca. 3 mm long;  floral bracts 4-5 mm long.  Corolla 8-9 mm long, dark red.

     Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Colombia (Boyacá and Cundinamarca depts.), in rocky páramo, at elevations of 3200-3500 m.  Flowering and fruiting collections known from April, May, October, and December.  Rare and endangered.