PLANTS FURNISHING MEDICINAL LEAVES AM) IIEKBS. 



19 



WINTERGREEN. 



Gaultheria procumbens L 



Other common names. — (laiiltheria, spring wintergreen, creeping wintergrecn, 

 aromatic Avintergreen, spicy wintergreen, checkerberry, teaberry, partridge berry, 

 grouseberry, t<i)icebcrry, chickenberry, deerberry^ groundberry, hillberry, ivyberry, 

 boxberry, red berry tea, ( "a- 

 nadian tea, mountain tea, 

 ivory plum , chinks, drunk- 

 ards, red pollom, rapper 

 dandies, wax cluster. 



Ha hita t a n d ra ii ge. — This 

 small native perennial fre- 

 quents sandy soils in cool 

 damp woods, occumng es- 

 pecially under evergreen 

 trees in Canada and the 

 northeastern United 

 States. 



Description. — AVinter- 

 green is an aromatic, ever- 

 green plant with an imder- 

 ground or creeping stem 

 producing erect branches 

 not more than 6 inches in 

 height, the lower part of 

 which is smooth and 

 naked, while near the ends 

 are borne the crowded 

 clusters of evergreen 

 leaves. These are alter- 

 nate, shining dark green 

 above, lighter colored 

 underneath, spicy, thick 

 and leathery, oval and 

 narrowing toward the base, 



about June to September the solitary, somewhat urn-shaped and five-toothed white 

 and waxy flowers appear, borne on recurved stems in the axils of the leaves. (Fig. 

 11.) These are followed by globular, somewhat flattened berries, which ripen in 

 autumn and remain on the plant, sometimes until spring. They are bright red, five 

 celled, mealy, and spicy. All parts of the plant, which belongs to the heath family 

 (Ericaceae), are aromatic. 



Collection, prices, and uses. — The leaves of wintergreen, or gaultheria, Mere at one 

 time official in the United States Pharmacopoeia, but now only the oil of wintergreen, 

 distilled from the leaves, is so regarded. The leaves should be collected in autumn. 

 Sometimes the entire plant is pulled up and, after drying, the leaves readily shake 

 off. The price paid to collectors ranges from about 3 to 4 cents a pound. 



Wintergreen has stimulant, antiseptic, and diuretic properties. Its chief use, 

 however, seems to be as a flavoring agent. 

 219 



Fig. 11. 



-Wintergreen {Gaulthrria procuinhcm), flowering and fruit- 

 ing plants. 



1 to 1^ inches in length, and of varying width. From 



