Gaultheria serrata (Vellozo) Sleumer ex Kinoshita-Gouvêa in Luteyn, Brittonia  41: 16.  1989.  Andromeda serrata Vellozo, Fl. flumin. 174.  1825 [1829] and Icones 4, t. 95.  1831. Leucothoe serrata (Vellozo) DC., Prodr. 7: 606.  1839.  Type.  Brazil:  "Campis apricis ad verticem Alpium Fluminensium" [Serra do Mar?].  Lectotypification is by p.174 of the text of Florae Fluminensis and the plate t. 95 of the Icones vol. 4 (cf. Stafleu & Cowan, 1986, p. 698).

         Erect shrub 0.3-1.5 m tall;  mature stems terete to subterete, often conspicuously striate or ridged, glabrous or sometimes with stout, gland-tipped, basally swollen setae to 0.3 mm long (or also moderately to densely hirsute with spreading to ascending, basally swollen, straight to crisped, ferruginous, eglandular hairs to 3.5 mm long), glabrate but then scabrous (± punctate) due to remnant hair bases;  bark thin, cracking longitudinally, reddish-brown;  twigs terete to subterete, striate, glabrous to densely white puberulent (also hirsute as on stems);  buds ovate, complanate, ca. 2 mm long, scales striate, ciliolate.  Leaves coriaceous, elliptic, oblong to ovate-elliptic, (1.5-)3-5.5(-7) x (1-)2-2.5(-3.5) cm, base rounded or obtuse, apex rounded to acute and shortly and bluntly mucronate, margin shallowly crenate with each tooth terminating in a hair similar to those on twigs but to 2 mm long;  midrib, lateral nerves (3-4 per side), and reticulate veinlets conspicuous, slightly raised or slightly impressed above, raised beneath, both surfaces hirsute to ± strigose pubescent with deciduous or persistent hairs similar to those on twigs but the eglandular setae to 1.5 mm long and the gland-tipped setae to 0.1 mm long, leaves appearing punctate after these hairs fall;  petiole subterete, shallowly canaliculate to conspicuously and narrowly sulcate above, rugose, 2.5-5(-7) mm long, glabrous or hirsute on both surfaces (short-pilose or short-glandular pubescent above).  Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 7-15(-20)-flowered;  rachis subterete, striate, 3-6(-7) cm long, surrounded at base by numerous, ovate to oblong, acute, subcoriaceous, ciliate bracts to 4 mm long, moderately to densely white puberulent (also moderately to densely hirsute with eglandular, setose hairs similar to those on stems and to 2 mm long), or with minutely gland-tipped, stout or thin setae to about 1 mm long;  pedicels terete, striate, 6-10 mm long, moderately to densely puberulent, also densely hirsute as rachis;  bracteoles nearly basal, subcoriaceous, ± cochleariform, ovate, striate, 4-5 x 2-4 mm, acute to acuminate, surface glabrous, ciliate;  floral bract subcoriaceous, ascending or slightly spreading, cochleariform, ovate, oblong to obovate, striate, 6-10 x 5-7 mm, rounded to acute or acuminate, glabrous or sometimes short-strigose dorsally but also ciliolate.  Flowers with calyx 4-6 mm long, glabrous to weakly pilose within and without, lobes ovate, 3-5 x 2-3 mm, acuminate, glabrous to densely short-pilose and ciliate (also moderately short-strigose);  corolla urceolate, ± terete to weakly bluntly 5-angled, 6-8(-9) x 5-6 mm, moderately to densely short-pilose without and within (also short-hirsute to strigose along angles), pink when fresh, lobes ovate, ca. 1 mm long, obtuse, reflexed;  stamens 4.3-5.5 mm long;  filaments 3.5-4.3 mm long, densely short-pilose;  anthers 1.3-2 mm long, awns conspicuous;  ovary densely short-pilose;  style 4.5-5 mm long (short-pilose basally or ± over entire length).  Fruiting calyx ca. 7 mm diam.

         Distribution (Map).  Mountains of eastern Brazil, from Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais (Serra do Caparaó) to Santa Catarina, at elevations of 1000-2800 m.  Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.
     

                      Key to the Varieties of Gaultheria serrata

    1.  Stems and twigs generally glabrous or sometimes with stout,
         gland-tipped setae 0.1-0.2 mm long;  rachis and pedicels puberulent
         only or sparsely hirsute with stout or thin, minutely gland-tipped setae
         to 1 mm long .. .................       ..........................................  var. serrata
    1.  Stems especially young twigs, rachises, and pedicels hirsute with
         setose, eglandular hairs to 3.5 mm long (rachis and pedicels may be
         puberulent too) ...........       ..........................................  var. organensis
     

    Gaultheria serrata (Vellozo) Sleumer ex Kinoshita-Gouvêa var. serrata.

    Gaultheria elliptica Chamisso, Linnaea 8: 502.  1833.  Brossea elliptica (Chamisso) O. Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. 2: 388.  1891.  Type.  Brazil.  Minas Gerais: Chapada dos Bois, Serra do Marinos and Alto de Boa Vista, ca. 1400 m, in 1830 (fl), Sellow 855 (holotype, B, destroyed, photo F neg. 4746, frag. F;  lectotype designated by Luteyn, 1991 [1993], HAL;  probable isotypes, BR, E, G, L).


         Mature stems and twigs glabrous or with stout, gland-tipped setae to 0.3 mm long.  Petioles glabrous or puberulent.  Rachis and pedicels puberulent, sometimes also with stout, gland-tipped setae to 0.3 mm long or thin, minutely gland-tipped setae to 1 mm long.  Corolla short-pilose.

         Distribution (Map).   Endemic to Brazil, from the Espírito Santo-Minas Gerais border south to Minas Gerais-São Paulo border area.
     

    Gaultheria serrata (Vellozo) Sleumer ex Kinoshita-Gouvêa var. organensis (Meisner) Luteyn, Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 458. llustrated:  Fl. Il. Catarin. ERIC, p. 7.  1975.  Gaultheria organensis Meisner, Mart. Fl. bras. 7: 153.  1863. Brossea organensis (Meisner) O. Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. 2: 388.  1891.  Type.  Brazil.  Rio de  Janeiro:  Serra dos Orgãos, in 1841 (fl), Gardner 5803 (lectotype designated by Luteyn, 1995, W;  isotypes, B, destroyed, photo F neg. 4755, CGE, FI, G, K, NY, OXF, W).
     

    [Gaultheria ferruginea W. J. Hooker in Curtis Bot. Mag. 79: t. 4697.  1853, excl. syn., non Chamisso & Schlechtendal (1826).  Incorrectly cited  as Gaylussacia ferruginea Hooker by Meisner in the protologue.]

    Gaultheria xcaparoensis Brade ex Sleumer, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 75:  448.  1952.  Type.  Brazil.  Minas Gerais:  Serra do Caparaó, 2200 m, 9 Sep 1941 (fl), Brade 16903 (holotype, RB, n.v., frag. B, n.v., LIL, n.v.; isotypes, B, NY).

    Gaultheria luetzelburgii Sleumer, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 75: 448.  1952.  Type.  Brazil.  Rio de Janeiro:  Serra dos Orgãos, Morro Assú, Lüetzelburg 6062 (lectotype designated by Luteyn, 1995, M; isotype, R, n.v., frag. LIL, n.v.).


         Mature stems and twigs moderately to densely hirsute with spreading to ascending, basally swollen, straight to crisped, ferruginous, eglandular hairs to 3.5 mm long, glabrate but then scabrous (± punctate) due to remnant hair bases.  Petioles hirsute all over.  Rachis and pedicels puberulent and also moderately to densely hirsute with hairs similar to those of twigs but to only 2 mm long.  Corolla short-pilose, also sometimes short-hirsute to strigose.

         Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Brazil, from Minas Gerais to Santa Catarina.

         Common names and uses.  Brazil:  urze dos órgãos (Santa Catarina).