GROUSE WHORTLEBERRY 
Vaccinium scoparium Leiberg 
The higher slopes of the western mountains, just below tree line, 
ate often covered with widespread patches of grouse whortleberty. 
The dwarf bushes are only six to twelve inches in height, with shortly 
angled, slender green branches. The small, thin, finely toothed leaves 
ate bright green. Underneath the foliage, and half hidden by it, hang 
the dainty little pink flower bells. The plants prefer well-drained, 
forested slopes, which ate not too densely shaded, but they often grow 
profusely in even the denser forest. Like other whortleberties, and its 
close relatives, the blueberries, it is restricted to acid soils. 
Grouse whortleberry ranges in the higher mountains from New 
Mexico to California, and northward to Alberta and British Columbia. 
The specimen sketched was obtained near Hector, British Columbia, 
Canada, at an altitude of 6,000 feet. 
PLATE 169 
