|
''Gaultheria procumbens,'' also called the eastern teaberry, the checkerberry, the boxberry, or the American wintergreen, is a species of ''Gaultheria'' native to northeastern North America from Newfoundland west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Alabama.〔Germplasm Resources Information Network: (''Gaultheria procumbens'' )〕 It is a member of the Ericaceae (heath family). == Growth and habitat== ''G. procumbens'' is a small, low-growing shrub, typically reaching tall. The leaves are evergreen, elliptic to ovate, 2–5 cm long and 1–2 cm broad, with a distinct oil of wintergreen scent. The flowers are bell-shaped, 5 mm long, white, borne solitary or in short racemes. The berry-like fruit is actually a dry capsule surrounded by fleshy calyx,〔Yü-Liang Chou 1952. Floral morphology of three species of ''Gaultheria:'' Contributions from the Hull Botanical Laboratory. ''Botanical Gazette'' 114:198–221 (First page free )〕 6–9 mm diameter. The plant is a calcifuge, favoring acidic soil, in pine or hardwood forests, although it generally produces fruit only in sunnier areas.〔(Gaultheria procumbens ), ''Fire Effects Information System''〕 It often grows as part of the heath complex in an oak-heath forest.〔(''The Natural Communities of Virginia Classification of Ecological Community Groups'' (Version 2.3), Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2010 )〕〔Schafale, M. P. and A. S. Weakley. 1990. ''Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina: third approximation.'' North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation.〕 ''G. procumbens'' spreads by means of long rhizomes, which are within the top 20–30 mm of soil. Because of the shallow nature of the rhizomes, it does not survive most forest fires, but a brief or mild fire may leave rhizomes intact, from which the plant can regrow even if the above-ground shrub was consumed.〔 This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Gaultheria procumbens )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Gaultheria procumbens」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|