1402

 Gaultheria fragrantissima Wall.

Synonym	:	Gaultheria hirsuta Gardner ex C.B.Clarke
Family	:	Ericaceae
Local name	:	English- Fragrant Wintergreen Malayalam-  Kolakkattachedi
Flowering and fruiting period	:	April-May
Distribution	:	Indo-Malesia
Distribution in Kerala	:	Idukki, Palakkad
Habitat	:	Shola forests and grasslands
Endemic/Exotic	:	Exotic
Uses		The essential oil obtained from the leaves is antiseptic, aromatic, carminative and stimulant. It is used in the treatment of rheumatism, scabies and neuralgia. It is also taken internally in the treatment of hook worms. The juice of the leaves is used in the treatment of coughs. Both the juice and the whole leaves are used as an anthelmintic that is effective against hookworms
Key botanical characters:  Fragrant Wintergreen is a robust shrub with ovate-lanceshaped evergreen leaves, and with numerous spike-like clusters of small fragrant white or pink globular flowers. Flower clusters are 2.5-8 cm long, shorter than the leaves. Flowers are short-stalked, 4 x 3 mm wide. Leaves are pointed, 5-10 cm long, smooth above, dotted with bristle-bases beneath, margins bristly-toothed. It is a branched shrub up to 1.75 m tall. Berries are 6 mm, with dark violet-blue fleshy pointed sepals.