Medical Dictionary

gaultheria

noun gaul·the·ria \ gȯl-ˈthir-ē-ə \

medical Definition of gaultheria

1 capitalized : a genus of evergreen shrubs of the heath family (Ericaceae) that produce small often aromatic fruits resembling berries and include the wintergreen (G. procumbens) which is a source of methyl salicylate

2 : a plant of the genus Gaultheria

Biographical Note for gaultheria

Gaultier play \gō-tyā\, Jean François (1708–1756), Canadian physician and botanist. Gaultier made botanical studies of the Quebec region with the Swedish botanist Peter Kalm (1716–1779). Kalm was an associate of Linnaeus, who named the genus Gaultheria in honor of Gaultier in 1753.