OregonFlora: Vaccinium uliginosum vs. Vaccinium scoparium

	Vaccinium uliginosum	Vaccinium scoparium
	bog bilberry, bog blueberry	grouseberry, grouse whortleberry
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, up to 4 dm; branching habit crowded, giving a “broom-like” appearance; twigs strongly angled, green to yellowish green, glabrous; 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.	elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 7–15 × 4–14 mm, light green abaxially, green adaxially; thin; flexible; margins finely serrate from tips to near base, prominently veined; tips acute; surfaces abaxially often glandular, adaxially glabrous.
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; calyces very shallowly lobed, glabrous; petals 5; corollas urceolate to globose, 3–4 × 3–5 mm, pink, glaucous; filaments glabrous.
Fruits	4–9 mm in diameter, blue to bluish black, with a faint bloom.	3–6 mm in diameter, bright red to bluish purple; without a bloom.
2n	=24, 48, 72.	=24.

	Vaccinium uliginosum	Vaccinium scoparium
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.	Subalpine and alpine meadows, slopes and pine forests. Flowering May–Aug. 1000–2700 m. BR, BW, Casc, CR, ECas, Sisk. CA, ID, NV, WA; northeast to Alberta, east to SD, southeast to NM. Native. See also V. myrtillus.
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. parvifolium, 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 scoparium

bog bilberry, bog blueberry

grouseberry, grouse whortleberry

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, up to 4 dm; branching habit crowded, giving a “broom-like” appearance; twigs strongly angled, green to yellowish green, glabrous; 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.

elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 7–15 × 4–14 mm, light green abaxially, green adaxially; thin; flexible;

margins finely serrate from tips to near base, prominently veined;

tips acute;

surfaces abaxially often glandular, adaxially glabrous.

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;

calyces very shallowly lobed, glabrous;

petals 5;

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

filaments glabrous.

Fruits

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

3–6 mm in diameter, bright red to bluish purple; without a bloom.

=24, 48, 72.

=24.

Vaccinium uliginosum

Vaccinium scoparium

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.

Subalpine and alpine meadows, slopes and pine forests. Flowering May–Aug. 1000–2700 m. BR, BW, Casc, CR, ECas, Sisk. CA, ID, NV, WA; northeast to Alberta, east to SD, southeast to NM. Native.

See also V. myrtillus.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 642
Stephen Meyers

Flora of Oregon, volume 2, page 641
Stephen Meyers

Sibling taxa