OregonFlora: Vaccinium uliginosum vs. Vaccinium parvifolium

	Vaccinium uliginosum	Vaccinium parvifolium
	bog bilberry, bog blueberry	red 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 deciduous to semi-evergreen, 10–50 dm, erect; stems sharply angled; twigs sharply angled, green to brown, glabrous to minutely puberulent; not 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.	ovate to oblong-elliptic, 10–30 × 4–18 mm; thin; margins usually entire, rarely minutely serrate; tips usually rounded or sometimes acute; surfaces abaxially glabrous to somewhat puberulent, adaxially glabrous but sometimes minutely puberulent along midrib.
Inflorescences	racemes, 2–4-flowered, occasionally 1-flowered.	solitary flowers in axils.
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 green, glabrous; petals 5; corollas globose to urceolate, 4–6 × 3–5 mm; greenish yellow to pink, glaucous; filaments ? anthers, glabrous.
Fruits	4–9 mm in diameter, blue to bluish black, with a faint bloom.	6–10 mm in diameter, red, with a faint bloom.
2n	=24, 48, 72.	=24.

	Vaccinium uliginosum	Vaccinium parvifolium
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.	Coniferous forests, often on decaying wood. Flowering Mar–Jul. 0–1600 m. Casc, CR, Est, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; north to AK. Native. Some old, semi-evergreen leaves of V. parvifolium may be minutely serrate and shiny, while most leaves are entire and dull. Thus, when using the above key, care must be taken to examine younger leaves for proper identification.
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. ovatum, V. oxycoccos, V. scoparium, V. uliginosum
Synonyms	Vaccinium occidentale, Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. occidentale, Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum, Vaccinium uliginosum var. uliginosum
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 parvifolium

bog bilberry, bog blueberry

red 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 deciduous to semi-evergreen, 10–50 dm, erect; stems sharply angled; twigs sharply angled, green to brown, glabrous to minutely puberulent; not 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.

ovate to oblong-elliptic, 10–30 × 4–18 mm; thin;

margins usually entire, rarely minutely serrate;

tips usually rounded or sometimes acute;

surfaces abaxially glabrous to somewhat puberulent, adaxially glabrous but sometimes minutely puberulent along midrib.

Inflorescences

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

solitary flowers in axils.

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 green, glabrous;

petals 5;

corollas globose to urceolate, 4–6 × 3–5 mm; greenish yellow to pink, glaucous;

filaments ? anthers, glabrous.

Fruits

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

6–10 mm in diameter, red, with a faint bloom.

=24, 48, 72.

=24.

Vaccinium uliginosum

Vaccinium parvifolium

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.

Coniferous forests, often on decaying wood. Flowering Mar–Jul. 0–1600 m. Casc, CR, Est, Sisk, WV. CA, WA; north to AK. Native.

Some old, semi-evergreen leaves of V. parvifolium may be minutely serrate and shiny, while most leaves are entire and dull. Thus, when using the above key, care must be taken to examine younger leaves for proper identification.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 642
Stephen Meyers

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 641
Stephen Meyers

Sibling taxa