/ ACCINIUM. 



ERICACE^. 443 



Suborder II. VACCINEyE. DC. The Whortleberry Tribe. 



Ovary adhering to tlie lube of tlie calyx (very inferior), becoming a berry or 

 drupe-like fruit. — Shrubs, with the leaves often evergreen. 



CO^fSPECTUS OF THE GENERA. 



9. VicciNiCM. Calyx 1 - 5-toothed. Corolla urceolate, cylindrical-ovoid or campanulalc, 4 - 5-cleft. Stamens 8 - 10. 



Berry 4 - 5-cellcd; the cells many-seeded. 

 10 Gaylcssacu. Calyx 5-toothed or 5-eleft. Corolla ovate, urceolate or campanulate, 5-clefl. Stamens 10. Berry 



drupaceous, containing 10 one-seeded nucules or pyrena. 

 11. Chiogenes. Calyx 4-parted, with two ovale bracts at the base. Corolla ovate-campanulate, 4-cleft; the segments 



short. Stamens 8. Berry 4-cclled ; the cells many-seeded. 



9. VACCINIUM. Linn.; Selck. Iiandb. t. 107. whortleberry, or huckleberry. 



[ The true etymology unknown.] 



Calyx 4 - 5-toothed. Corolla urceolate, cylindrical, campanulate or somewhat rotate, 4-5- 

 toothed or 4 - 5-parted. Stamens 8 - 10 : anthers often 2-horned on the back ; the cells 

 separate above, each produced into a tubular appendage, and opening by a hole or slit at 

 the summit. Ovary 4 - 5-celIed ; the cells with numerous ovules, sometimes longitudinally 

 divided into two loculi by a false partition from the back of each cell, and thus becoming 

 spuriously 8 - 10-celled. Berry globose, 4 - 5-celled, many- (or by abortion few-) seeded. 

 Seeds oval ; the testa crustaceous, reticulate-pitted, closely investing the nucleus. — 

 Shrubby plants, with alternate leaves. Flowers solitary and a.\illary, fasciculate or race- 

 mose. Berries edible, mostly dark blue or black (sometimes red). 



^ 1. Ovary 4 - 5-celled; the back of Ike cells not inlrojiexed : corolla urceolate, ovoid, cylindraceous 

 or globose : anthers 2-awned on the back : Jlowers solitary and axillary or fasciculate, developed 

 simultaneously with the deciduous leaves : seeds angular, not pitted. 



1. Vaccinium uliginosum, Lin?i. Alpine Bilberry. 



Leaves obovate (small), entire, smooth above, veiny and glaucous underneath ; flowers 

 nearly solitary, or several together and fasciculate, mostly oclandrous ; corolla urceolate-ovoid, 

 4 - 5-toothed ; anthers awned on the back. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 350 ; Engl. hot. t. 581 ; MicJuc. 

 Jl. 1. p. 2.35 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 288 ; Torr. fl. 1. p. il7 ; Beck, hot. p. 224 ; Hook.Jl. Bor.- 

 Am. 2 p. 32; DC. prodr. 7. p. 574. V. uliginosum, var. alpinum, Bigel. Jl. Bost. p. 153. 

 V. gaultherioides, Bigel. in New-Engl. med.jour. 5. p. 335. V. pubescens, Wormsk. in 

 Hornem. Jl. Dan. 



Stem procumbent, willi numerous erect branches, 6-12 inches high. Leaves 6-8 lines 

 long, somewhat glaucous, particularly underneath ; the veins prominent and reticulated. 



56* 



