PRIMULACEAE (PRIMROSE FAMILY) 175 



VACCINIUM (HUCKLEBERRY) 



Flowers in racemes or clusters, rarely solitary in the leaf axils. Calyx 

 persistent. Corolla urn-shaped to campanulate. Ovary 4-io-celled. 

 Seeds many. (L. vacca = a cow ; perhaps because they are often pasture 

 plants.) Fruits edible. 



A. Leaves deciduous; filaments glabrous; anthers 2-awned. 

 B. Flowers solitary; corolla 5-lobed; calyx entire to s-cleft; leaves often not entire; 



twigs often angled. 



C. Twigs terete; plants dwarf, caespitose, less than 5 dm. high; leaves mostly ser- 

 rate. 



D. Leaves bright green on both sides, rather thin; corolla ovate or oblong. W. 

 C. E. V. caespitosum (DWARF BILBERRY) 



DD. Leaves pale and glaucescent, thicker; corolla globose. W. C. 



V. deliciosum (SWEET BILBERRY) 



CC. Twigs slightly to sharply angled; plants 10-20 dm. high when twigs are only 

 slightly angled. 



E. Leaves serrate or serrulate; plants 1-15 dm. high. 



F. Leaves 4-8 mm. long; berries red; plant 1-4.5 dm. high. C. E. 



V. scoparium 

 FF. Leaves 12-16 mm. long; berries black; plant 1-3 dm. high. E. 



V. oreophilum 

 FFF. Leaves 25-50 mm. long; berries black; plant 3-15 dm. high. W. C. E. 



V. membranaceum 

 EE. Leaves entire or with a few irregular teeth; plants 10-40 dm. high. 



G. Leaves 6-17 mm. long; calyx 5-lobed; berry red. W. C. 



V. parvifolium (RED HUCKLEBERRY) 



GG. Leaves 2.5-7.5 cm. long; calyx lo-toothed or -lobed; berry blue or black. 



W. C. V. ovalifolium 



BB. Flowers in clusters of 2-4; corolla usually 4-lobed; calyx 4~s-parted ; leaves 



entire; twigs terete. 

 H. Leaf veins prominent; leaves thick, obtuse or retuse. W. C. 



V. uliginosum (BOG BILBERRY) 



HH. Leaf veins obscure; leaves thinner, obtuse or acute. C. E. V. occidentals 

 AA. Leaves evergreen, coriaceous; filaments hairy; anthers awnless. 

 I. Plant erect; leaves acute, not revolute; berry black, not bitterish. W. 



V. ovatum (EVERGREEN HUCKLEBERRY) 



n. Plant prostrate; leaves obtuse or emarginate, revolute; berry dark red, bitterish. 

 C. V. vitis-idaea (ROCK CRANBERRY) 



PRIMULACEAE (PRIMROSE FAMILY) 



Herbs. Leaves variously arranged. Flowers perfect, regular, 

 variously arranged. Calyx 4-g-parted or -cleft. Corolla gamopet- 

 alous or none (Glaux), various in form, segments as many as the 

 calyx. Stamens as many as the corolla lobes and opposite them, on 

 base of corolla tube. Ovary superior or inferior (Samolus), i-celled; 

 placenta central; style I. Capsules mostly 2-6-valved. Seeds i 

 to many. 



