Handbook of Treics of tiif Noetiierx States and Canada. 375 



The Sparkleberry is the largest and hand- 

 somest of the American Huckleberries. It at- 

 tains the height of 20 or 30 ft., \\ith irregular 

 open top of few slender contorted branches and 

 short trunk. it inhabits moist bottom-lands 

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

 generally scattered through forests of taller 

 trees, in company with the Wax ilyrtle, Sweet- 

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

 hampered by the shade. Nor does it seem to 

 suffer from the burden of Florida Moss 

 {Tillandsia) , \yhich it is fated to carry where 

 that abounds. It extends its branchlets be- 

 tween and bej'ond the gray locks of the 

 epiphyte, 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 food for 

 many northern birds which winter in the 

 southern states. 



The wood is fine-grained, heavj', hard and 



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



absolutely dry, weighs 47.43 lbs. The bark is 



rich in tannin. = 



Leaves deciduous northward but persistent 

 southward, obovate to oval, M2-'^V2 in. long, suli- 

 sessile, cuneate at base, rounded or acute at apex. 

 with entire or obscurely denticulate and revoluti^ 

 margins, at maturity lustrous dark green above, 

 paler and glabrous or puberulous beneath, coriace- 

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

 bracted racemes, with slender pedicels 1/2 in. long ; 

 corolla campanulate with n acute reflexed lobes : 

 stamens 10. with bairy fllaments. Fruit ripe in 

 October, subglobose, Vi in. in diameter, shinin-; 

 black. ^ 



1. S.vu. Bai (idcud r<n! it 



■■i. A. w., XI, 2.-;s. 



3. For genus see p. 4.''i 



cijiii Nutt. 



