Flora of North America species comparison

erect;

twigs glabrous.

erect, arching, spreading, creeping, or procumbent.

persistent;

blade ovate, coriaceous, margins entire or serrate, plane, surfaces often multicellular, long-stalked stipitate-glandular-hairy, otherwise unicellular-hairy on midvein [covering abaxial surface];

venation reticulodromous (reticulum rather dense and with all orders ± equally prominent).

deciduous or persistent, alternate, sometimes pseudoverticillate (Pieris);

petiole usually present, sometimes absent (some species of Vaccinium);

blade plane, abaxial groove absent.

axillary [terminal] racemes [panicles], 10–20-flowered, (produced just before flowering).

usually axillary, sometimes terminal, usually panicles or racemes, sometimes corymbs or fascicles, sometimes solitary flowers, (borne on leafy twigs, except Zenobia on leafless twigs);

perulae absent;

bracts much shorter than sepals (sometimes absent).

bracteoles 2, near base to ± midpoint.

sepals 5, slightly connate, deltate;

petals 5, connate for most of their lengths, white [red], corolla cylindric [urceolate], lobes short;

stamens 10, included;

filaments geniculate, flattened, hairy, without spurs;

anthers without awns, dehiscent by elliptic pores;

pistil 5-carpellate;

ovary 5-locular;

stigma (slightly exserted), truncate to capitate, obscurely lobed, (minutely papillose).

pendulous;

perianth and androecium hypogynous or epigynous (Gaylussacia, Vaccinium);

sepals (4-)5[-8];

petals 4-5(-6), connate (rarely distinct or nearly so in some species of Vaccinium), corolla deciduous, campanulate, cylindric, or urceolate, lobes usually much shorter (sometimes longer) than tube;

intrastaminal nectary disc absent or present;

stamens 8-10[-16];

anthers dehiscent by terminal pores or short slits;

ovary 5- or 10-locular;

placentation axile;

style straight.

capsular, subglobose to short-ovoid, (with unthickened sutures), dry.

capsular, dehiscence loculicidal, or baccate or drupaceous, indehiscent.

120–250, narrowly oblong to pyramidal or angular-obovoid;

testa cells elongate.

2-300, distinct, ovoid or obovoid to ellipsoid, lanceoloid, or conic, to angular or wedge- or crescent-shaped, usually not winged, sometimes slightly winged or tailed.

= 12.