VACCINIACEAE 233 



leaves are mostly oval but also lanceolate or nearly circular, 

 up to 2i/^ inches long by U/^ inches wide, acute or obtuse at 

 the apex, and narrowed or, rarely, rounded at the base. The 

 margin is finely toothed, and the surface is glabrous above and 

 beneath at maturity. The midrib may be slightly pubescent 

 toward the base, and the petiole is very short. 



The greenish-yellow flowers are borne in short racemes con- 

 sisting of 5 to 7 or sometimes a dozen flowers, which begin to 

 open in late April and continue in blossom until early in June. 

 Fruit ripens from early in July until well into September as 

 blue-black, flattened, globose berries, usually densely bloom 

 covered, which are sweet and edible and considerably less than 

 ]/? inch in diameter. 



Distribution. — The Dryland Blueberry grows in dry, sandy 

 soil in woods from New Hampshire to Ontario and Michigan 

 and south to Georgia and Kansas. In Illinois, it has a remark- 

 able distribution. It is relatively abundant in the sandy regions 

 in the northeast corner of the state and ranges, in isolated occur- 

 rences, to Castle Rock on the Rock River and, at least it 

 formerly ranged, to Peoria on the Illinois River. It is, how- 

 ever, most abundant in the Ozarks in southern Illinois, where 

 it has been collected in Pope and Union counties, in Giant City 

 State Park, and in southeastern Jackson County. Specimens 

 taken in Union County have been referred to the variety 

 crinitum Fernald, which is distinguished by the branches being 

 generally pubescent instead of pubescent in lines. The Illinois 

 material of this species is by no means uniform, and critical 

 examination of collections gathered in various sections of the 

 state will suggest assignment of some specimens to V. pallidum 

 Aiton, of some to, perhaps, V. Torreyanum Camp, and of some, 

 even, to varieties of V. corymbosum Linnaeus, at least as these 

 species are treated in various manuals. 



VACCINIUM CANADENSE Kalm 



Canada Blueberry 



The Canada Blueberry, fig. 61, is an ascending or erect shrub 

 8 inches to 2 feet high with wrinkled, pubescent branches and 

 branchlets bearing oval to lanceolate leaves usually 1 inch long 

 by y^ inch wide. The leaf blades are acute at the apex, nar- 

 rowed to the very short but distinct petiole, and entire on the 



