VACCINIUM 



B.M. 3429— It is doubtful if varieties can be distin- 

 guished. Var. arbuscula, Gray, passes into tbe ordinary 

 form; while vars. angustifolium, Gray, and cuneifblium, 

 Nutt., are found to be simply forms produced by shade. 

 The last form, particularly, is common in New Eng- 

 land, and early in the season the lvs. are of the ordinary 

 obovate type, while later they become elongated. 

 Recommended by Warren H. Manning for the rock 



VACCINU'M 



1893 



11. Pennsylvanicum, Lam. Low Blueberry. Fig. 

 2630. A dwarf shrub, 6-15 in. high: lvs. membrana- 

 ceous, oblong-lanceolate or oblong, distinctly serrulate 

 with bristle-pointed teeth, mostly shining on both sides 

 but often hairy on midrib beneath: fls. on short pedi- 

 cels; corolla campanulate-cylindrical, short: berries 

 large, globose, bluish black with bloom, sweet, the 

 earliest to ripen north. N. Amer. B.M. 3434. B.B. 

 2:578. Em. 2:456. Rep. Me. Exp. Sta. 1898:171. -Var. 



2630. Vaccinium Pennsylvanicum — Low Blueberry (XK). 



angnstifdlium, Gray. A dwarf form, with more decid- 

 edly lanceolate lvs. Lake Superior and northward.— 

 This species is extremely variable in size and shape 

 of fruit and flowers, but with the exception of the va- 

 riety noted and the black - fruited form often asso 

 ciated with it, which is set off as Y. nigrum, the varia 

 tions do not appear sufficiently constant to warrant mak 

 ing separations. In general, the plant is of low, semi 

 prostrate habit, is extremely prolific and thrives on dry 

 sandy hills. It furnishes the bulk of the Blueberries 

 found in the eastern markets. When mown down or 

 burned, the new erect shoots produce, the following 

 year, a long, spike-like mass of bloom and fruit which 

 may be stripped off by handfuls. Because of its charac- 

 ter and early-ripening habit, it is known on the Blue- 

 berry plains as "Early Sweet" or "Low Sweet." 



12. nigTum, Britton. Low Black Blueberry. Low 

 shrub, similar to V. Pennsylvanicum, and often asso- 

 ciated with it: lvs. oblong-lanceolate to obovate, finely 

 serrulate, green above, pale and glaucous beneath : fls. 

 few in the clusters, white or cream-colored, appearing 

 earlier than those of I". Pennsylvanicum: berries rather 

 small, black without bloom. Dry rocky soil, N. Amer. 

 B.B. 2:579. Rep. Me. Exp. Sta., 1898:171. -This species 

 is distinguished from the preceding by the glaucous 

 under surfaces of the leaves and by the characteristic 

 shining black fruit. It is usually found in colonies in 

 the same situations as V. Pennsylvanicum : but occa- 

 sionally the two species will be found intermingled. 



13. Canadense, Richards. Canada Blueberry. Erect 

 shrubs, 1-2 ft. high, the crowded branchlets downy 

 pubescent: lvs. oblong-lanceolate or elliptical, entire 

 downy on both sides: corolla short, open-campanulate 

 greenish white, often tinged with red : berries globose 

 or oblate, blue with much bloom, of excellent flavor 

 Low woods, Hudson Bay to Bear Lake and the north 

 ern Rocky Mts.; south to New Eng., mts. of Pa. and 

 111. B.M. 3446. B.B. 2:578. -This species, commonly 

 known as "Velvet Leaf " or "Sour Top " because of the 

 character of its foliage and the somewhat acid fruit, 

 usually grows in rather moist, rocky, not swampy, lo- 

 calities. The fruit is larger and more acid than the 

 other low forms and matures from one to three weeks 

 later. It is not so popular in the general market as the 

 sweeter kinds, but it is verj' prolific and its lateness in 

 ripening is a point in its favor. 



14. hirsutirm, Buckley. Hairy Huckleberry. Bear 

 Huckleberry. Low shrub, 1-2 ft. high: stems green, 

 grooved, obscurely 4-angled, those of the current year 

 covered with stout, spreading white hairs: lvs. ovate, 

 entire and, together with the pure white campanulate 

 corolla, the calyx and the dark blue globose fruit, hirsute. 

 Very local in N. C, Ga. and Tenn. G.F. 2:365. -This 

 species, discovered about 1840, was lost sight of for half a 

 century until rediscovered by Sargent and transferred 

 to the Arnold Arboretum. It is readily distinguished by 

 the hairy flower and fruit. The fruit is described as 

 fully as large as that of Gayhtssacia resinosa, shining 

 black, and of an agreeable flavor. Under cultivation 

 not so densely hairy as in the wild state. Gives prom- 

 ise of being valuable under cultivation as one of the 

 latest of its kind to ripen, — at the Arnold Arboretum 

 the best period of fruitage being the middle of August, 

 berries remaining into September. 



15. myrtilloides, Hook. An erect, branching shrub, 

 mostly glabrous throughout, the twigs slightly angled: 

 lvs. oval, oblong or ovate, acute, serrate, membranous, 

 green on both sides but not shining, 1-2 in. long: calyx 

 entire; corolla depressed-globular, j-ellowish or green- 

 ish white: berries large, oblate, black, rather acid. 

 Lake Superior westward. B.M. 3447.— The berries are 

 large, %-% in., oblate, with broad calyx, of excellent 

 flavor; much relished by the natives of the northwest. 



16. ovalifolium, Smith. A slender, straggling, 

 branched shrub 3-12 ft. high, with slender more or less 

 angled branchlets: lvs. oval, obtuse, glabrous, green 

 above, glaucous beneath : fls. solitary, on short, re- 

 curved pedicels; corolla globose-ovoid: berry large, 

 zi-% in., bluish purple, with bloom. Woods, Quebec to 

 Mich., Ore. and Alaska. B.B. 2:577. — This species is 

 very abundant in the northwest, forming a large part 

 of the undergrowth along the southern coast of Alaska 

 (Funston). The berries, rather larger than peas, are 

 collected in great quantities by the Indians, who use 

 them fresh and dry them for winter. The exception- 

 ally large berries and vigorous habit of this species 

 suggest its value for cultivation and particularly for 

 crossing with the low -growing species, such as V, 

 Pennsylvanicum and Canadense. 



17. virgatum, Ait. A shrub 3-12 ft. high, with slen- 

 der green branches, the young twigs puberulent: lvs. 

 narrowly oval-oblong, acute, often mucronate, entire or 

 minutely serrulate, green and glabrous above, pale or 

 glaucous beneath, %-2 in. long: fls. in short racemes 

 on naked twigs, appearing before the lvs.; corolla 

 nearly cylindrical, white or pink: bracts small, decidu- 

 ous: berry black, with or without bloom. Swamps, 

 southern Va. to Fla. and La. B.B. 2:577. B.M. 3522. 

 B.R. 4:302 (as V. fuscatum).— The distinction between 

 this species and the next is very slight. It is probable 

 that, possibly excepting var. tenellum, this is only a 

 southern form of V. corymbosum and should be re- 

 duced to varietal rank. 



Var. tenellum, Gray (V. teniUwm, Ait., not Pursh). 

 A low form, mostly less than 2 ft., with smaller lvs. 

 and nearly white fls. in short, close clusters. Southern 

 Va. to Ark., Fla. and Ala. — Probably a distinct species. 



18. corymbosum, Linn. High -bush Blueberry, 

 Swamp Huckleberry. Fig. 2631. A tall, straggling 

 shrub, 4-12 ft. high, with yellowish green warty branch- 



