In England the common names, as collated by Sturtevant, 

 are: Whorts or Whortleberries and Bilberries; in France, 

 Airelle, Aurelle, Myrtilles, Myrtilles des bois, Bluete; or in 

 Brittany Lucets, and in Normandy Mawrets. In Sweden they 

 are called, in Upland, Blabar ; in Smoland, Slinner ; in Scania, 

 Bollion; in Lapland, Zirre and Zerre. In Brabant the usual 

 terms are, Crakebesein, Haverbesein and Postelbesein ; in Ger- 

 many, Heydelbeeren, Biclcbeeren, Blawbeeren, Schwartzbeeren ; 

 or for some species, Drunkelbeeren, Rauschbeeren, Grosse 

 Heidelbeeren, Moosheidelbeeren, etc.; in Italy, Myrtillo; in 

 Russia, Ticherniza, Pjaniza, Goluble, etc.^ 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The genus includes about 125 species of wide geographic dis- 

 tribution, extending from the Arctic circle to boreal sub-tropical 

 regions, and the high mountains of the tropics; most common 

 in North America and the Himalayas. There are in North 

 America proper about twenty-five species and in Mfexico and 

 Central America as many more. The Himalayan region is par- 

 ticularly rich in species many of which are epiphytic. With 

 very few exceptions (e. g. erythrinum in Java and emirnense in 

 Madagascar) the genus is unrepresented in the southern hemi- 

 sphere and in the lower regions of the tropics. 



The most widely distributed species are, perhaps, Myrtillus 

 and uliginosum, which occur in middle and northern Europe, 

 Asia (except in the central part from the Himalayas to Thian- 

 schan, where all vacciniums are absent), Canada and central 

 North America southward to New York and Colorado, and west- 

 ward to Alaska. Uliginosum, especially, is confined to northern 

 and mountainous regions. Vitis-Idcca, also, has a wide distribu- 

 tion somewhat similar to Myrtillus. It is common in the higher 

 woodlands and mountains of middle and southern Europe, in 

 America southward to New England, Lake Superior and British 

 Columbia. 



In several places in Germany, as slated by Drude,^ wild 

 hybrids between the foregoing species and V. intermedium, 

 Ruthe, are not uncommon. The hybrids have evergreen foliage.' 



» Stnrtevant, Trans. Mass. Hort. Soc, 1890, 18. 

 ' Bng. aud Prant. Pflanzenfaralllen, 4:51. 



