OregonFlora: Vaccinium cespitosum vs. Vaccinium oxycoccos

	Vaccinium cespitosum	Vaccinium oxycoccos
		bog cranberry, small cranberry, swamp cranberry, wild cranberry
Leaves		ovate to elliptic, 3–10 × 1–5 mm, strongly glaucous abaxially, green to dark green adaxially; stiff; margins entire; tips rounded to subacute; surfaces abaxially glaucous, adaxially glabrous.
Inflorescences		solitary flowers in axils; bracts < 1 mm wide.
Flowers		sepals 4; calyx lobes shallow, deltate, red, glaucous; petals 4; corollas 4.5–7.5 mm; whitish pink to pink, glabrous; lobes deeply parted and reflexed; filaments 50% as long as anthers, pubescent.
Fruits		4–10 mm in diameter, dark red to bluish black, with a bloom.
Vine-like creeping shrubs		evergreen, 1–5 dm; twigs slender; round in cross section to angled, red to brown, puberulent or sometimes glabrous, often peeling, not rhizomatous.
2n		=24, 48, 72.

	Vaccinium cespitosum	Vaccinium oxycoccos
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion		Wet mid- to higher elevation bogs and wetlands, often in sphagnum, occasionally coastal. Flowering Apr–Jul. 0–1400 m. Casc, Est. CA, ID, WA; north to AK, east across Canada to northeastern states; circumboreal. Native. The vine-like habit and tiny reflexed flowers of V. oxycoccos readily distinguish it from all other Oregon Vaccinium species, with the exception of escaped populations of cultivated cranberry (V. macrocarpon). The latter, however, has larger leaves, flowers, and fruits as well as lighter-colored leaves.
Source		Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 641 Stephen Meyers
Sibling taxa	V. caespitosum, V. corymbosum, V. deliciosum, V. macrocarpon, V. membranaceum, V. myrtillus, V. ovalifolium, V. ovatum, V. oxycoccos, V. parvifolium, V. scoparium, V. uliginosum	V. caespitosum, V. corymbosum, V. deliciosum, V. macrocarpon, V. membranaceum, V. myrtillus, V. ovalifolium, V. ovatum, V. parvifolium, V. scoparium, V. uliginosum
Synonyms		Oxycoccus palustris, Oxycoccus palustris var. intermedium, Vaccinium oxycoccos var. intermedium, Vaccinium oxycoccos var. oxycoccos
Web links	Local floras: CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Vaccinium cespitosum

Vaccinium oxycoccos

bog cranberry, small cranberry, swamp cranberry, wild cranberry

Leaves

ovate to elliptic, 3–10 × 1–5 mm, strongly glaucous abaxially, green to dark green adaxially; stiff;

margins entire;

tips rounded to subacute;

surfaces abaxially glaucous, adaxially glabrous.

Inflorescences

solitary flowers in axils;

bracts < 1 mm wide.

Flowers

sepals 4;

calyx lobes shallow, deltate, red, glaucous;

petals 4;

corollas 4.5–7.5 mm; whitish pink to pink, glabrous;

lobes deeply parted and reflexed;

filaments 50% as long as anthers, pubescent.

Fruits

4–10 mm in diameter, dark red to bluish black, with a bloom.

Vine-like creeping shrubs

evergreen, 1–5 dm;

twigs slender; round in cross section to angled, red to brown, puberulent or sometimes glabrous, often peeling, not rhizomatous.

=24, 48, 72.

Vaccinium cespitosum

Vaccinium oxycoccos

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Wet mid- to higher elevation bogs and wetlands, often in sphagnum, occasionally coastal. Flowering Apr–Jul. 0–1400 m. Casc, Est. CA, ID, WA; north to AK, east across Canada to northeastern states; circumboreal. Native.

The vine-like habit and tiny reflexed flowers of V. oxycoccos readily distinguish it from all other Oregon Vaccinium species, with the exception of escaped populations of cultivated cranberry (V. macrocarpon). The latter, however, has larger leaves, flowers, and fruits as well as lighter-colored leaves.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 641
Stephen Meyers

Sibling taxa