Handbook of Trees of the Nortiikkx States axd Canada. 375 



Tlie Sparkleberry is the largc'st and hand- 

 somest of the American Huckleberries. It at 

 tains the height of 20 or 30 ft., with irreguhu 

 o[)en top of few slender contorted branches and 

 short trunk. It inhabits moist bottom-hxnds 

 and the borders of streams and ponds, and i-^ 

 generally scattered through forests of tailor 

 trees, in company with the Wax Myrtle, Sweet 

 leaf, Holly, Devil-wood, etc., seeming little 

 hampered by the shade. Nor does it seem to 

 suflfer from the burden of Florida Moss 

 {Tillandsia) , which it is fated to carry where 

 that abounds. It extends its branchlets be- 

 tween and beyond the gray locks of the 

 epi[)hyte, to bear its shining green leaves and 

 delicate white flowers unhampered, and it is 

 then a peculiarly beautiful object, thriving in 

 spite of adversity. Its fruit is sweet and edible, 

 though rather dry, and, being retained on its 

 branches during the winter, it affords foid for 

 many northern birds which winter in the 

 southern states. 



The wood is fine-grained, heavy, hard and 

 useful for tool-handles, etc. A cubic foot, when 

 absolutely dry, weighs 47.43 lbs. The bark is 

 rich in tannin. 2 



Leaves docidiious northward but persistent 

 southward, obovate to oval, Vi-'IVi in. Ions, suh- 

 sessilo. cunoato at baso, rounded or acuU' at apex, 

 with ontiro or oljseurcly flcnticuUUo and revolutc 

 margins, at maturity lustrous dark green aliovc. 

 palpr and glabrous or puberulous beneath, coriace- 

 ous. Floirers (March-May) white, in leafy- 

 bracted racemes, with slender pedicels Vz in. long : 

 corolla campanulato with ."> acute reflexed lobes : 

 stamens 10, with hairy filaments. Fruit ripo in 

 October, subglobose, V4 in. in diameter, sbininu' 

 black.^ 



1. Syn. Batodcndron arhon 



2. A. W., XI, 258. 



3. For genus see p. 452. 



Nutt. 



