About Gaultheria trichophylla Royle
Gaultheria trichophylla, commonly called Himalayan snowberry, is a plant species belonging to the heath and heather family, and it is native to the Himalayas. This species produces flowers that range in color from red to pink to white, bears blue-colored berries as fruit, and has leaves that are approximately 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) long. In volume one of his work Illustrations of the Botany and Other Branches of the Natural History of the Himalayan Mountains, and of the Flora of Cashmere, J. Forbes Royle described the natural habitat and characteristics of Gaultheria trichophylla as follows: "This plant is an inhabitant of cold and lofty situations, as Jumnotri, the top of Choor, and of the mountains surrounding Cashmere, and like many plants of such situations is furnished with setae on the younger upper parts of branches, probably to protect them from the severity of the cold. The calyx is adherent to the lower part of the capsule, becomes succulent, and forms an edible fruit in the month of September."
