XXI. 1. THE LOW BLUEBERRY. 403 



• 



cylindric, yellowish white, often tinged with red, with spreading 

 segments. Filaments shorter and less hairy than in the last. 



This is a common species, growing on high ground and most 

 luxuriantly in the openings in rocky woods. The fruit is very 

 sweet, the berries large and covered with a light bluish bloom. 

 The flowers are much more richly colored than those of other 

 species, and the plant has a more elegant appearance. It is 

 distinguished from any variety of the last species, by the veins 

 and ribs of its leaves being usually perfectly smooth. It is 

 distinguished at once from the next species, by its pale green 

 leaves and by being twice as high or more. The fruit-branches 

 are two or three inches long or more, without leaves, sometimes 

 several together on a stem, so that a large part of the plant 

 seems leafless, but covered with fruit. The flowers open in 

 May and June ; the fruit is ripe in August. 



Sp. 7. The Low Blueberry. V. Pennsylvanicum. Lamarck. 



A very low and much branched undershrub, covering the 

 ground in extensive beds, on open, level pastures or in high 

 pine woods. The branches are a little angular, with the bark 

 of a light green, closely set with white, raised dots, and with a 

 hairy line running down on each side. The leaves are sessile, 

 oval-lanceolate, acute at both ends, thin, finely serrate, shining 

 on both surfaces, with the margin and mid-rib hairy under a 

 microscope. The fascicles of flowers are terminal, or on the 

 upper part of the branches, while the leaves are below. The 

 bracts are often scarlet. The teeth of the calyx are green, acute, 

 and spreading ; the corolla is white, often with a reddish tinge ; 

 style equaling or surpassing the corolla ; filaments short, rather 

 hairy. The berries are blue, with a glaucous bloom, and very 

 sweet. 



From its situation and exposure, the berries ripen earlier than 

 those of any other species. They are soft, and easily bruised 

 and injured in bringing to market, and liable, when in mass, to 

 speedy decay. They are, therefore, less valued in market than 

 those of some other species, though they are very delicious and 

 not liable to the objection which is made to the black whortle- 



