1892 



VACCINIUM 



VACCINIUM 



EE. Racemes shorter. 



F. Corolla cylitidric: 



fr. blue LS. corymbosum 



FF. CorolJn i(rn'sJi<ipi:'d: 



fr. hhich ID. atrococcum 



AA. iSj'ecies ruUivateil clilef'h/ for 

 ornament. 

 B. Pl<i)ds loiv, 1-2 fl. li'ujh. 

 <:, St e in s creeping, w i t h 

 h randies erect, or as- 

 ceiid/' i){/. 



D. Zr>;. snniU, .s]thiin</ '20. crassi£olium 



DD. Xr.s*. lanjcr,/!'! tc or ijloii- 



cescent '2] . uliginosum 



cc. Stems erect: tici</s n<J . . . .22. erytkrinum 

 BB. Plants taller, S-20 ft. hiijl,. 



C. Foll'f'jc cv'-'n/rrr)! . ri;//tl . .2'.i. ovatum 



CC. Foliinje ijrrltinniis. 



D. Sttrf'ice slii Himi a hove, 

 more or less piilxscmt 



beneaiJi 1^4. arboreum 



DD. Surface p a I e r a h o v e, 



glaacons beneath 25. stamineum 



DDD. Surface bright green 

 hath si.U'H. {Here 

 might he sought No. 5.) 5. erytbrocarpon 



1. Oxyc6ccus, Linn. Small Cranberry. Craxbkrry 

 of the (JId \\'ori<l. Slender creeping plantH with siidct, 

 filiform stems 4-10 in. long: Ivs. ovate acnte or acumi- 

 nate, M ill- long, with revolute margins: pedicels 1-4, 

 terminal: corolla deeply 4-parted, the lobes reflexed; 

 anthers exserted, with very long terminal tubes: berry 

 red, globose, ^i~^z in. in diam., 4-loculed. Sphagnum 

 swamps in subarctic ami alpine regions. — Though 

 smaller, its fruit is by nu\ny considered superior to tluit 

 of the next. 



2. macrocArpon, Ait. Larger American Cranberry. 

 Stems slender, creeping, elongated (1-4 ft.), the flower- 

 ing branches ascending: Ivs. oblong or oval, obtuse or 

 refuse, '-3-H in. long, whitened beneath; pedicels sev- 

 eral, axillary and lateral: berry red or reddish, globose 

 or pvrifnrm, ^ -^-l in. long. N. Amn-iea. B.M'. 2586. 

 Em. 2:456. See Cranherri/. 



2629- Cowberry or Mountain Cranberry— Vaccinium 



Vitis-Idaea {X Mbont ^;l. 



3. Vitis-Idsea, Linn. Cowberry. Mountain Cran- 

 berry. FoxBERRY. Fig. 2(i2!t. Plants low (6-10 in.): 

 Ivs. coriaceous, persistent. ol)OYate or oval, 34-^ in. 

 long, dark green and shining above, with blackisli 

 bristly points beneath: fls. in short, terminal racentps; 

 corolla white or rose-colored, 4-fieft: berries dark red", 

 acid, rather bitter. Arctic regions, south to coast of 



New England, Minn, and Brit. Col. B.B. 2:580. L.B.C. 

 7:616 fas var. major) ; ll:U)23fvar. mrnor) .—The fruits, 

 which are rather larger than currants, acid and some- 

 what bitter when uncooked, are largely used in the more 

 northern regions for tai'ts, jellies and preserves, or as a 

 substitute for the common cranl)erry. According to 

 Macoun, the fishermen's families along the Gasp(5 coast 

 and the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence gather 

 the fruit of this species in large quantities for their 

 own use and for sale, calling it "Low-bush Cranlierry." 

 Throughout the whole of northern Canada hunters and 

 trappers, as well as the native Indians, have frequently 

 to depend upon it for food. It is valuable for the shrub- 

 bery border, where the strong contrast of the dark gnea 

 foliage and the bright-colored persistent fruit is \ery 

 striking. 



4. parvif61ium, Smith. Shrub, G-12 ft. high, strag- 

 gling, with slender, green, sharply angled branches: 

 Ivs. oblong or oval, obtuse, entire, dull or pale, }4~-% 

 in. long: fls. solitary in the axils; corolla globular, 

 nearly white; calyx 5-lobed: berries light red, rather 

 dry. Northern Calif, to Alaska. — Offered by only one 

 nurseryman. T. J. Howell, of Oregon, characterizes the 

 fruit as "of good flavor, excellent for tarts," while <Jray 

 says "rather dry, hardly edible." 



5. erythroc^rpon, Michx. Shrub, erect, divergently 

 branching, 1—4 ft. high: Ivs. oblong-lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate, serrate, thin, l}4-3 in. long: pedicels solitary, 

 axillary, bractless: corolla flesh - colored, }4 in. long, 

 4-cleft, revolute: berries globose, M in. in diam., light 

 red, turning to deep blue-black at full maturity, watery, 

 slightly acid, scarcely edil)le. Julv. Higher Aliegba- 

 nies, Va. to Ga. B.M. 7413. 



6. nitidum, Andr. A diffusely much branched shrub, 

 with smooth branchlets: Ivs. thick, coriaceous, shining 

 above, obovate or oblong; fls. in fascicles on short ra- 

 cemes, the almost persif^tent bracts as well as the 

 roundish or ol)tuse calj^x-teeth reddish; corolla short- 

 campanulate, 5-toothed: berry "somewhat pear-shoped, 

 black." Fla. and Ga. —Near to or passing iuto I'. Jifijr- 

 siiiites. 



7. Myrsinites, Lam. Low, evergreen shrub erect or 

 decundjent: Ivs. exceedingly variable, 3^-1 in. long, en- 

 tire or serrulate, sometimes denticulate, mostly shining 

 above; bracts and calyx-teeth acute or acutish: berries 

 "globose, blue." Sandy pine barrens N. Car. to Fla. and La. 

 B.M. 1550 (as V. nitidum, vixr. decumhens) . — The differ- 

 ence between this species and the preceding is obscure. 

 The chief points of distinction seem to be that 1'. Mi/rsi- 

 nites has puberulent branchlets, prominently veined Ivs. 

 and acute calyx-teeth and bracts, while V. niiidaw has 

 smooth branchlets, smaller and faintly veined Ivs., with 

 obtuse or roundish calyx-teeth and l,>racts. Grown as a 

 pot-plant in coolhouses in England under the name of 

 I'. SprengeVii. 



8. vacillans, Kalm. Low Blueberry. Blfe HrcKLE- 

 BERRY. Erect, glabrous: Ivs. obovate or oval, entire or 

 sparingly serrulate: fls. in rather loose clusters, gener- 

 ally on leafless summits of twigs; corolla campanulate 

 or cylindraceous, coiitracted at the mouth : berries large, 

 blue, with much bloom, of excellent flavor, ripening 

 with r. Canadi'nae. Dry, sandy, or rocky places, N. 

 Amer. B.B. 2:579. Em. 1 :454. — One of the most com- 

 mon species of the northern and central states, particu- 

 larly west of the Alleghanies. The Hs. are quite showy, 

 while the fruit is particularly valuable. 



9. Myrtillus, Linn. Whortleberry. Bilberry. Low 

 shrubs, glabrous: Ivs. ovate or oval, serrate, conspicu- 

 ously veined, K-% in. long: calyx almost entire: ber- 

 ries black, nodding. Mountainous regions, N. Amer., 

 Eu., Asia.— The most widely distributed species and 

 very generally used as an article of diet ami in the mak- 

 ing of drinks, particularly in the Old Worbl. It is from 

 this species that the common name Whortleberrj' is de- 

 rived. Not of special importance in America. 



10. caespitdsura, iMirbx. Dwarf Bilberry. A dwarf 

 tufted shrub, :!-12 in. high, nearly glabrous througliDuC: 

 ivs. obovate, obtuse or acutish, serrulate, shining on 

 both sides: fls. solitary; corolla obovoid, pink or white, 

 slightly 5-tootlipd (rarely 4-toothed) : l)erries large, 

 globose, blue with bloom, sweet. N. Amer. B.B. 2:576 



