OregonFlora: Gaultheria shallon

	Gaultheria shallon
	salal
Habit	Shrubs erect or partially prostrate, not mat-forming, 5–25 dm; rhizomatous.
Stems	twigs glabrous to pubescent and glandular.
Leaves	ovate to elliptic, 4–10 cm, bases subcordate to rounded; margins serrate; teeth bristle-tipped; tips mucronate, sometimes acute; surfaces abaxially occasionally sparsely pubescent along veins, adaxially glabrous.
Inflorescences	axillary and terminal racemes; peduncles glandular pubescent; bracts 4–6 mm.
Pedicels	glandular pubescent; bractlets 1–5, 3–5 mm, pink, glandular pubescent.
Flowers	sepals 3–5 mm, pink to red, fused for ~50% of their length, glandular pubescent; corollas urceolate 6–10 mm, white to pink, glabrous; lobes 1–1.5 mm; filaments pubescent; anthers with awns.
Fruits	globose, 6–10 mm in diameter, purple to black with a bloom.
2n	=22, 44.

	Gaultheria shallon
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Forests, cliffs, coastal bluffs. Flowering Mar–Jul. 0–1800 m. BW, Casc, CR, Est, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; north to AK. Native. Gaultheria shallon is ubiquitous in lower elevation forests west of the crest of the Cascade Mountains. It has been collected once in the eastern portion of the state (Morrow County), approximately 250 km from the edge of its normal range.
Source	Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 626 Stephen Meyers
Sibling taxa	G. humifusa, G. ovatifolia
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Gaultheria shallon

salal

Habit

Shrubs erect or partially prostrate, not mat-forming, 5–25 dm; rhizomatous.

Stems

twigs glabrous to pubescent and glandular.

Leaves

ovate to elliptic, 4–10 cm, bases subcordate to rounded;

margins serrate;

teeth bristle-tipped;

tips mucronate, sometimes acute;

surfaces abaxially occasionally sparsely pubescent along veins, adaxially glabrous.

Inflorescences

axillary and terminal racemes;

peduncles glandular pubescent;

bracts 4–6 mm.

Pedicels

glandular pubescent;

bractlets 1–5, 3–5 mm, pink, glandular pubescent.

Flowers

sepals 3–5 mm, pink to red, fused for ~50% of their length, glandular pubescent;

corollas urceolate 6–10 mm, white to pink, glabrous;

lobes 1–1.5 mm;

filaments pubescent;

anthers with awns.

Fruits

globose, 6–10 mm in diameter, purple to black with a bloom.

=22, 44.

Gaultheria shallon

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Forests, cliffs, coastal bluffs. Flowering Mar–Jul. 0–1800 m. BW, Casc, CR, Est, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; north to AK. Native.

Gaultheria shallon is ubiquitous in lower elevation forests west of the crest of the Cascade Mountains. It has been collected once in the eastern portion of the state (Morrow County), approximately 250 km from the edge of its normal range.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 626
Stephen Meyers

Sibling taxa

G. humifusa, G. ovatifolia

Web links