Gaultheria anastomosans (Linnaeus f.) Kunth in Humboldt, Bonpland & Kunth, Nov. gen. sp. 3: 285.  1819.  Andromeda anastomosans Linnaeus f., Supp. pl. 237.  1781.  Brossea anastomosans (Kunth) O. Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. 2: 388.  1891.  Type.  Colombia, without locality, Mutis s.n. (lectotype designated by Luteyn, 1995, LINN Catalogue no. 563.20;  probable isolectotypes, LINN Catalogue nos. 563.18 and 563.19;  photos of LINN types taken by the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University;  possible isolectotypes, US, MA).
     
    Gaultheria conferta Bentham, Pl. hartweg. 219.  1846.  Brossea conferta (Bentham) O. Kuntze, Rev. gen. pl. 2: 388. 1891.  Type.  Colombia. Cundinamarca: Andes of Bogotá, 2743-3048 m, Hartweg 1205 (holotype, K;  isotypes, BR, CGE, E, FI-Webb., G, K, LD, NY, OXF, P, W).
    Gaultheria ramosissima Bentham, Pl. hartweg. 220.  1846.  Brossea  ramosissima (Bentham) O. Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. 2: 388.  1891. Type.  Colombia.  Cundinamarca: Andes nr. Bogotá, Hartweg 1207 (holotype, K;  isotypes, BR, CGE, E, frag. F, FI-Webb., G, photo F neg. 26629, K, LD, NY, OXF, P, W).
    Gaultheria pubiflora S. F. Blake, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 35: 118.  1922. Type.  Colombia.  Cundinamarca:  Nr. Albán, 2685 m, 5 Oct 1920 (fl, fr), Popenoe 1133 (holotype, US, photo NY neg. 12072).
    ? Gaultheria microdonta A. C. Smith, Bull. Torrey Bot. Cl. 60: 108.  1933. Type.  Colombia.  Cundinamarca:  Montserrate, Oct 1907 (fl), Bro. Ariste-Joseph A301 (holotype, US).


         Erect shrub (0.2-)1-1.5(-5) m tall, often much-branched and much-reduced with gnarled stems at elevations over 3300 m;  mature stems terete, glabrous;  bark gray to reddish-brown, thin, often exfoliating in strips;  twigs subterete, usually sparsely to densely (sometimes not) puberulent to short-pilose with white hairs, also usually sparsely to densely (rarely not) strigose with slightly spreading, straight to crisped, ferruginous, basally swollen, eglandular hairs to 2.5 mm long;  buds ovate, 2-3 mm long, scales tan to reddish, glabrous. Leaves usually ascending or spreading, ovate, 0.7-1.6(-2) x 0.4-1(-1.2) cm, base rounded, obtuse, or broadly cuneate (subcordate), apex acute to acuminate, margin bluntly to sharply serrate with each tooth terminating in a deciduous or persistent, setose hair, often slightly revolute, surfaces glabrous above or inconspicuously puberulent, glabrous beneath or more commonly sparingly strigose with short, basally swollen, eglandular hairs;  midrib, lateral nerves, and reticulate veinlets plane, slightly impressed, or slightly raised above, usually slightly raised and conspicuous to inconspicuous beneath;  petiole subterete, usually broadly flattened or canaliculate above, slightly rugose, 1.2-3 mm long, usually glabrous but sometimes puberulent above and short-strigose beneath.  Inflorescence of solitary, axillary flowers, or as terminal pseudoracemes congested at the branch tips;  pedicel terete, somewhat striate, 3.5-9(-14) mm long, indumentum similar to the twigs;  bracteoles 2-9(-12), basal or scattered along the pedicel, ovate to ovate-elliptic, 1.5-3.5(-4.2) x 1.5-2.5 mm, acute to acuminate, glabrous or short-pilose, usually ciliate;  floral bract similar to bracteoles or leaf-like in all aspects.  Calyx 3-4(-5.5) mm long, lobes riangular to ovate, 1.5-3 x 1.5-2 mm, acuminate, ciliolate, glabrous to short-pilose at tips without, rarely strigose at base, usually densely short-pilose within;  corolla urceolate to cylindric-urceolate, 4-6(-7) x 3-5(-6.5) mm, usually glabrous without (densely short-pilose or also weakly strigose), essentially glabrous or sparsely pilose within, white to pinkish, lobes ovate, obtuse, ca. 1 mm long;  stamens (2-)2.5-4 mm long;  filaments 2-3 mm long, glabrous to densely pilose;  anthers 1.2-2 mm long, awns long and conspicuous;  ovary densely short-pilose;  style 2.8-4.5 mm long, glabrous to densely short-pilose in basal half.  Fruiting calyx globose when fresh but often becoming turbinate when dry, 4-7(-10) mm diam., blue-black (or white ?).  Chromosome number: n=11, 2n=22 (Luteyn et al. 4719).

         Distribution (Map).  Rare in western Venezuela but frequent and very common in Colombia in open páramo, páramo thickets, and disturbed páramo hillsides at elevations of (1900-)2500-3400(-4100) m.  Flowering and fruiting occur throughout the season.

           Common names and uses.  Venezuela:  borrachera (Trujillo).  Colombia:  mortiño (Antioquia);  totiadera blanca (Boyacá);  reventadera (Boyacá, Cundinamarca);  borrachera, chirridera, maiz de perro,  totiadera, veneno (Cundinamarca);  uvito (Huila).