VACCINIUM 99 



Vaccinium uliginosum L i n n e 1753 Billberry 



Low much branched bush, stems upright, 2-60 cm. high, 1-3 mm. in 

 diameter, stiff, smooth, round, dark purplish-gray after the shedding of the, 

 thin whitish epidermis ; leaves deciduous, somewhat thick and firm, obovate 

 or nearly round, veiny, upper side dull green, smooth, lower side paler, 

 slightly hairy, margin slightly revolute, entire, tip rounded, indented, 

 or broadly wedge-shaped, base wedge-shaped, 9-15 mm. long, 2.5-10 mm. 

 wide, sometimes nearly double this size in the far north ; petioles 1 mm. 

 long or wanting, flowers solitary or in groups of 2-4 from special scaly 

 winter-buds, sepals 4 (rarely 5) their free tips broadly triangular and 

 very obtuse, corolla globular, bell-shaped, pink, composed of 4 (rarely 5) 

 petals which are fused about two thirds of their length, stamens 8 (rare- 

 ly 10) included, filaments smooth, anthers each bearing two long awns on 

 the back, the sacs tapering upward into short tubes with terminal pores, 

 style shorter than the corolla, berry 4-celled (rarely 5-celled), bluish 

 black with a bloom, sweet and edible : uliginosum, full of moisture, 

 i. e., growing in moist places. 



Moorland, heaths and rocks, Arctic regions of the old and new 

 world, south to northern New England, Lake Superior, Washington, the 

 Alps and England. In Minnesota it occurs only in the extreme north- 

 east corner along the shore of Lake Superior. Flowers about July 1. 



Vaccinium caespitosum Michaux 1803 Dwarf Billberry. 



Dwarf tufted shrubs, stems upright, branched, 5-30 cm. high, .5-3 

 mm. in diameter; stiff, round, finely pubescent, grayish brown; leaves 

 deciduous, thin, obovate, or spatulate, veiny, smooth and green on both 

 sides, margin finely serrate, tip rounded or abruptly wedge-shaped, base 

 narrowly wedge-shaped, 10-20 mm. long, 3-10 mm. wide, rarely consider- 

 ably larger, petioles 1 mm. long or wanting; flowers solitary from the 

 axils of the lower leaves of the new growth, peduncles 2-3 mm. long, 

 drooping; sepals 5, almost completely united, their upper portion form- 

 ing a free collar-like projection which is very slightly and obtusely 5- 

 lobed, corolla bright pink or red, jug-shaped, about 5 mm. long, com- 

 posed of 5 petals which are united almost to the tip, stamens 5, included 

 in the corolla, filaments smooth, anthers each bearing two long awns on 

 the back, their sacs tapering upward into rather long tubes with terminal 

 pores, style straight, about as long as the corolla; berry 5-celled, blue- 

 black, with a bloom, sweet and edible : caespitosus, sod-like. 



