GAYLUSSACIA 583 



GAYLUSSACIA. HUCKLEBERRY. VACCINIACE^:. 



This genus contains some forty to fifty species which belong ex- 

 clusively to the New World, the greater proportion being found in 

 S. America. Agbout half a dozen species are in cultivation, all from 

 Eastern N. America, and, with the exception of G. brachycera, deciduous 

 shrubs. The leaves are alternate, not toothed except in brachycera, and 

 often resin-dotted. The corolla resembles that of Vaccinium, to which 

 genus Gaylussacia is closely allied. The fruit is berry-like, outwardly 

 similar to that of Vaccinium, but markedly different in containing ten 

 cells and ten nutlets, instead of the four or five cells and numerous 

 minute seeds of Vaccinium. The genus commemorates Gay-Lussac, the 

 French chemist (1778-1850). Cultivation the same as for Vaccinium; 

 but these shrubs have obtained little attention in gardens. Some of 

 the species yield in a wild state large crops of edible fruits in N. America, 

 but have no value in that respect with us. 



G. BRACHYCERA, A. Gray. Box HUCKLEBERRY. 



(Vaccinium buxifolium, Salisbury, Bot. Mag., t. 928.) 



A dwarf evergreen shrub, 6 to 12 ins. high ; young stems angled, minutely 

 downy. Leaves thick, leathery, oval to ovate, toothed, \ to I in. long, about 

 half as wide, dark glossy green above, paler below, smooth, very shortly 

 stalked. Flowers produced in May and June in short axillary racemes near 

 the end of the shoot, each flower on a very short stalk. Corolla cylindrical, 

 but contracted at the mouth, J in. long, white, faintly striped with red. 

 Berries not seen ; described as blue. 



Native of the eastern United States, on the mountains and hills from 

 Virginia northwards to Pennsylvania; originally introduced in 1796. It was 

 subsequently quite lost to cultivation, but through the agency of the Arnold 

 Arboretum, Mass., has been restored to gardens. It is still a very rare 

 plant, but one of the daintiest of evergreens, forming low, neat patches, 

 resembling to some extent Vaccinium Vitis-idaea var. minor. 



G. DUMOSA, Torrey and Gray. DWARF HUCKLEBERRY. 



(Vaccinium dumosum, Andrews, Bot. Mag., t. 1106.) 



A deciduous shrub, I to 2 ft, or sometimes twice as much high, spreading 

 by underground stems, the young twigs furnished with gland-tipped hairs. 

 Leaves narrowly oval or obovate, pointed, f to i^ ins. long, to in. wide ; 

 deep shining green, more or less glandular downy on both surfaces and 

 at the edges, not toothed ; stalk very short. Flowers produced in June 

 on short downy racemes furnished with oval, persistent, leaf-like bracts in. 

 or more long, from the axils of which the flowers spring. Corolla bell-shaped, 

 \ in. long and wide, pure waxy white, nodding ; calyx with downy triangular 

 lobes. Berries globose, black, J to \ in. wide, downy ; not much valued 

 for eating. 



Native of Eastern N. America from Newfoundland to Florida, never far 

 from the coast, and said to prefer sandy soil ; introduced in 1774. It is a 

 handsome shrub both in flower and fruit, and differs from the other deciduous 

 species in cultivation by the large, white, open bell-shaped flowers. (Fig. p. 584.) 



