VACCINIUM 



GBANBEBBY ORDER 



oxycoccus 673 



ovate serrate, ^1 in. long, rosy when 

 young. Flowers rosy, tinged with green, 

 5 in. across, solitary. Berries dark blue, 

 glaucous, ^ in. in diameter, used for pre- 

 serves. 



Culture So. as above. 



V. nitidum. — A somewhat spreading 

 evergreen shrub, 1-2 ft. high. Leaves 

 thick, leathery, shining, obovate or 

 oblanceolate oblong, 5-5- in. long, ob- 

 scurely toothed. Flowers rosy or whitish, 

 in clusters or very short racemes. Berries 

 hlack, somewhat pear-shaped. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. ovatum. — A stiffish evergreen 

 shrub, 3-5 ft. high. Leaves bright green 

 on both sides, 1 in. or so long, thick and 

 firm, oblong obovate, or oblong lance- 

 shaped, acute, minutely and sharply 

 toothed. Flowers rosy or flesh-coloured, 

 in short, dense axillary clusters. Berries 

 reddish at first, black afterwards, sweetish. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



V. padifolium (F. inaderense). — A 

 somewhat tender shrub, about 6 ft. high, 

 native of Madeira, with oblong serrulate 

 leaves, downy beneath. Flowers greenish- 

 white, drooping, in leafy racemes. 



Culture do. as above. In the colder 

 parts of the kingdom this species is likely 

 to be injured by severe frosts. 



V. pennsylvanicum. — A warty- 

 stemmed shrub 9-12 in. or more high. 

 Leaves oblong lance-shaped or oblong, 

 with bristly teeth. Flowers white or 

 slightly rosy, in clusters or short racemes. 

 Berries bluish-blaok, glaucous, large and 

 sweet. The variety a/ngustifolium, known 

 as 'Bluets,' seldom reaches more than 

 9 in. high, and has lance-shaped leaves. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



V. stamineum (Beerherry ; Squaw 

 HuoTcleherry). — A shrub 2-3 ft. high. 

 Leaves oval, or lance-shaped oblong, dull 

 green or glaucous. Flowers duU purple 

 or yellowish-green, nearly all axiUary. 

 Berries greenish or yellowish, large pear- 

 shaped or round, mawkish tasting. 



Culture So. as above. 



V. uliginosum. — A British and Arctic 

 shrub with trailing stems 6-10 in. long. 

 Leaves obovate or oblong, ^1 in. long, 

 entire, leathery, glaucous beneath. Flow- 

 ers pale pink. Berries dark blue, glau- 

 cous. A useful rock plant. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. virgatum. — A somewhat downy 

 shrub, about 3 ft. high. Leaves more or 

 less obovate oblong, pointed, minutely 

 toothed, 1 in. or more long. Flowers 

 rosy, on short stalks, in twiggy clusters. 

 Berries black, sometimes with a bloom. 

 The variety tenellum is a dwarf form, 

 with small leaves, and nearly white 

 flowers, in shorter and denser clusters 

 than the type. V. fuscatum is a form 

 with deep rosy flowers having red stalks 

 and bracts. 



Culture So. as above. 



V. Vitis-Idaea (Brawlins ; Cowberry ; 

 Flowering Box). — A British evergreen, 

 with wiry, tortuous, trailing stems 6-18 

 in. long. Leaves obovate, dotted beneath, 

 glossy green above (like Box), very 

 leathery, l-lj in. long, entire or bluntly 

 and minutely toothed. Flowers pink, 

 crowded in short terminal drooping 

 racemes. Useful for the rockery. 



Culture da. as above. 



OXYCOCCUS (Ceanbeery). — A 

 genus with only a couple of species of 

 very smooth, decumbent or somewhat 

 erect shrubs, with small, alternate, ever- 

 green, entire leaves. Flowers axiUary 

 or terminal, solitary or few, long-stalked, 

 nodding or drooping. Characters of the 

 flower the same as in Vaccmvwm, except 

 that the anthers of the stamens are 

 united in a cone instead of being free. 



Culture and Propagation. — The two 

 species described below thrive in swampy 

 peaty soil, and are therefore best grown 

 near the water, or in bog gardens, where 

 they are always likely to have plenty of 

 moisture. They will grow fairly well in 

 peaty soil with Vacciniums and with 

 Heaths and other Erioaeeous plants, but 

 do not grow so quickly as in moister 

 places. They may be increased in the 

 same way as Vacciniums from seeds sown 

 when ripe or in spring, and also by 

 layering the stems, which root freely at 

 the joints. Cuttings of the young shoots 

 will also root under a bell-glass. 



O. macrocarpus (Vaccinium macro- 

 carpum). — American Cranberry. — A 

 creeping slender-stemmed N. American 

 species, with elliptic oblong blunt leaves, 

 glaucous beneath. Flowers in spring, 

 pink. Fruits red, largely used for pre- 

 serves. 



Culture dc. as above. 



O. palustris {Vaccinium Oxycoccus). — 

 Common Cranberry. — A native of the 



