398 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



XXI. 1. THE WHORTLEBERRY. VACCI'NIUM. L. 



A genus of nearly eighty species of shrubs and under shrubs, 

 rarely small trees, occurring most numerously in North America, 

 and less frequently in tropical America, Madagascar, northern 

 India, the Sandwich Islands, middle and northern Europe and 

 northern Asia, with alternate, sometimes evergreen leaves, and 

 solitary or racemed flowers arid fruit. Most of the species bear 

 edible and wholesome berries. The bark and leaves of the 

 three European species are very astringent, and have been 

 much employed in tanning. The fruit of the Bilberry, V. myr- 

 tillus, the best of the three, is highly esteemed for its agreeably 

 acidulous taste. Vinous and alcoholic drinks and vinegar are 

 prepared from it. The juice, with lime, verdigris, and sal am- 

 moniac, furnishes the painter a beautiful purple color ; with 

 sulphate of copper and alum, it gives a blue, of no great perma- 

 nence, but often used in the preparation of colored paper. The 

 name whortleberry, originally given to this species, is derived 

 from the Saxon heort-berg or heorot-berg, the hart's berry. 

 Similar uses are made of the Bog Whortleberry, V. uliginbsurn, 

 of Europe, which is inferior in flavor. Of the leaves of this, 

 with Lycopbdlum alpinum, the Icelanders make a yellow dye 

 for woollens. 



Most of the whortleberries in New England change their 

 leaves in autumn to different deep shades of scarlet and crimson, 

 contributing, more than any other family, to the peculiar rich- 

 ness of coloring w-hich characterizes our woods at that season. 



Sp. 1. The Black Whortleberry. V. resinosum. Aiton. 



A shrub from eighteen inches to three feet high, rather erect ; 

 much branched; the branches slender, and, when young, pu- 

 bescent. Stem mahogany color, beneath a semi-transparent, 

 pearly epidermis. Leaves on lateral or terminal branches, 

 with short petioles, oblong-oval or elliptic, very entire, mostly 

 obtuse, thin, profusely dotted beneath with atoms of yellowish 

 resinous matter, giving a yellowish green color to the lower 

 surface. Flowers on short, lateral racemes, with minute, lance- 



