OregonFlora: Vaccinium uliginosum vs. Vaccinium ovatum

	Vaccinium uliginosum	Vaccinium ovatum
	bog bilberry, bog blueberry	California huckleberry, evergreen huckleberry
Habit	Shrubs deciduous, 0.2–0.7 m, in dense mats; stems round in cross section; twigs round in cross section to angled, green to grayish brown, glabrous to finely puberulent, older twigs slightly peeling; rhizomatous.	Shrubs evergreen, 4–35 dm, erect; twigs round in cross section, reddish brown to grayish, puberulent; rhizomatous.
Leaves	ovate to elliptic, 9–29 × 4–18 mm; thin or thick at maturity; margins entire; tips rounded to acute; surfaces abaxially glabrous or glaucous, adaxially glabrous.	narrowly ovate, 15–40 × 8–20 mm, light green abaxially, green adaxially; thick; leathery; firm; margins sharply serrate from tips to 67% or near base; tips acute to acuminate; surfaces abaxially sparsely glandular with blackish hairs, adaxially glabrous.
Inflorescences	racemes, 2–4-flowered, occasionally 1-flowered.	terminal racemes.
Flowers	distinct; sepals 4 or 5, usually glaucous; corollas urceolate, 4–6 × 2–5 mm, white to pink, glaucous; petals 4 or 5; filaments ? anthers, glabrous.	sepals 5; calyx lobes fused at base, deltate, red, glaucous; petals 5; corollas campanulate to urceolate, 2.5–7 × 1.5–5 mm, pink, glabrous; filaments pubescent.
Fruits	4–9 mm in diameter, blue to bluish black, with a faint bloom.	6–9 mm in diameter, blue to black, sometimes with a bloom.
2n	=24, 48, 72.	=24.

	Vaccinium uliginosum	Vaccinium ovatum
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Wet mid-elevation montane and coastal habitats. Flowering May–Sep. 0–2400 m. BW, Casc, ECas, Est, Sisk. CA, ID, NV, WA; northern US and Canada; Asia, Europe. Native. Some authorities consider the coastal form of V. uliginosum a distinct species (V. occidentale). If recognized, this species would be identified by its distinctly reticulated leaf veins, thin leaves, and smaller fruits.	Coastal and occasionally inland coniferous forests. Flowering Mar–Jun. 0–800 m. CR, Est, Sisk. CA, WA; north to British Columbia, south to Mexico. Native. The distribution of V. ovatum populations is interesting from a biogeographic perspective. In British Columbia, Washington, northern Oregon, and southern California, V. ovatum is generally found within several kilometers of the coast. However, in northern California and Mexico, populations are found up to 50 kilometers inland and in southern Oregon up to 100 kilometers inland.
Source	Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 642 Stephen Meyers	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. caespitosum, V. corymbosum, V. deliciosum, V. macrocarpon, V. membranaceum, V. myrtillus, V. ovalifolium, V. oxycoccos, V. parvifolium, V. scoparium, V. uliginosum
Synonyms	Vaccinium occidentale, Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. occidentale, Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum, Vaccinium uliginosum var. uliginosum	Vaccinium ovatum var. saporosum
Web links	Local floras: BC, OR, WA Local Web sites: 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, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, 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 ovatum

bog bilberry, bog blueberry

California huckleberry, evergreen huckleberry

Habit

Shrubs deciduous, 0.2–0.7 m, in dense mats; stems round in cross section; twigs round in cross section to angled, green to grayish brown, glabrous to finely puberulent, older twigs slightly peeling; rhizomatous.

Shrubs evergreen, 4–35 dm, erect; twigs round in cross section, reddish brown to grayish, puberulent; rhizomatous.

Leaves

ovate to elliptic, 9–29 × 4–18 mm; thin or thick at maturity;

margins entire;

tips rounded to acute;

surfaces abaxially glabrous or glaucous, adaxially glabrous.

narrowly ovate, 15–40 × 8–20 mm, light green abaxially, green adaxially; thick; leathery; firm;

margins sharply serrate from tips to 67% or near base;

tips acute to acuminate;

surfaces abaxially sparsely glandular with blackish hairs, adaxially glabrous.

Inflorescences

racemes, 2–4-flowered, occasionally 1-flowered.

terminal racemes.

Flowers

distinct;

sepals 4 or 5, usually glaucous;

corollas urceolate, 4–6 × 2–5 mm, white to pink, glaucous;

petals 4 or 5;

filaments ? anthers, glabrous.

sepals 5;

calyx lobes fused at base, deltate, red, glaucous;

petals 5;

corollas campanulate to urceolate, 2.5–7 × 1.5–5 mm, pink, glabrous;

filaments pubescent.

Fruits

4–9 mm in diameter, blue to bluish black, with a faint bloom.

6–9 mm in diameter, blue to black, sometimes with a bloom.

=24, 48, 72.

=24.

Vaccinium uliginosum

Vaccinium ovatum

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Wet mid-elevation montane and coastal habitats. Flowering May–Sep. 0–2400 m. BW, Casc, ECas, Est, Sisk. CA, ID, NV, WA; northern US and Canada; Asia, Europe. Native.

Some authorities consider the coastal form of V. uliginosum a distinct species (V. occidentale). If recognized, this species would be identified by its distinctly reticulated leaf veins, thin leaves, and smaller fruits.

Coastal and occasionally inland coniferous forests. Flowering Mar–Jun. 0–800 m. CR, Est, Sisk. CA, WA; north to British Columbia, south to Mexico. Native.

The distribution of V. ovatum populations is interesting from a biogeographic perspective. In British Columbia, Washington, northern Oregon, and southern California, V. ovatum is generally found within several kilometers of the coast. However, in northern California and Mexico, populations are found up to 50 kilometers inland and in southern Oregon up to 100 kilometers inland.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 642
Stephen Meyers

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 641
Stephen Meyers

Sibling taxa