580 



VACCINIACEAE. 



[VOL. II. 



Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea L. Mountain Cranberry. Wind- or Cow-berry. 



(Fig. 2795.) 



Vaccinium I'ilis-Idaea L. Sp. PI. 351. 1753. 



A low evergreen shrub, with creeping stems, the 

 branches erect, terete, 3'-8' high, puberulent or 

 glabrous. Leaves thick, coriaceous, persistent, 

 crowded, green and somewhat shining above, paler 

 and black -dotted beneath, quite glabrous, or min- 

 utely ciliate toward the base, obovate or oval, 

 short-petioled, entire or sparingly serrulate, 3"-8" 

 long, the margins revolute; flowers in short termi- 

 nal sec'und racemes or clusters, nodding, longer 

 than their pedicels; bracts reddish, short-oblong, 

 tardily deciduous; bractlets2; calyx-limb 4-toothed; 

 corolla white or pink, open-campanulate, 4-lobed; 

 stamens 8; berriesdark red, acid, 4 // -5 // in diameter. 



In rocky places, Essex Co., Mass., coast of Maine, 

 higher mountains of New England to Labrador and 

 arctic America, west to Lake Superior, British Colum- 

 bia and Alaska. Ascends to 5300 ft. in the Adirondacks. 

 Also in northern Europe and Asia. Fruit used as a sub- 

 stitute for cranberries. June-July. Other English 

 names are Flowering Box, Ling- or Wine-berry, Red 

 Whortleberry. Fruit ripe Aug.-Sept. 



14. Vaccinium stamineum L. Deer- 

 berry. Buckberry. (Fig. 2796.) 



Vaccinium stamineum L. Sp. PI. 350. 1753. 



A divergently branched shrub, 2-5 high, with 

 pubescent or glabrous twigs. Leaves oval, oblong 

 or rarely obovate, acute or sometimes acuminate 

 at the apex, pctioled, entire, firm, green above, 

 pale and glaucous or slightly pubescent beneath, 

 i'-4' long, %'-i#' wide; flowers very numerous 

 in graceful leafy-bracted racemes, jointed with their 

 spreading or pendulous filiform pedicels; corolla 

 open-campanulate, purplish or yellowish green, 

 deeply 5-cleft, 2 // -3 // long, 3"-5" broad; anthers 

 and style exserted; bracts usually persistent; berry 

 globose or pear-shaped, green or yellow, 4 // -5 // in 

 diameter, inedible. 



In dry woods and thickets, Maine to southern On- 

 tario and Minnesota, south to Florida, Kentucky and 

 Louisiana. Squaw Huckleberry. April-June. 



^ w 



15. Vaccinium arbdreum Marsh. Farkle- 

 berry. (Fig. 2797.) 



Vaccinium abortum Marsh. Arb. Amer. 157. 1785. 



A divergently branched shrub or small tree, 

 reaching a maximum height of about 30, and 

 trunk diameter of 9', the twigs glabrous or slightly 

 pubescent. Leaves obovate or oval, obtuse or acute 

 and mucronulate at the apex, narrowed at the base, 

 short-petioled, shining and bright green above, 

 duller, and sometimes sparingly pubescent beneath, 

 entire or glandular-denticulate, coriaceous, i / -2 / 

 long, X'-i' wide; flowers pendulous in leafy- 

 bracted racemes, slender-pedicelled; corolla white; 

 campanulate, 5-lobed; anthers included; style ex- 

 serted; bracts persistent; berry globose, black, 

 about 3" in diameter, inedible. 



In dry sandy soil, North Carolina to Kentucky, 

 southern Illinois and Indian Territory, south to Florida 

 and Texas. Wood hard, reddish brown, weight per 

 cubic foot 47 Ibs. Called also Sparkleberry. May-June. 



