Ericaceae subfam. Vaccinioideae

Arnott

M. Napier, Encycl. Brit. ed. 7 5: 118. 1832.

Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 496. Mentioned on page 370, 373, 507.

Subshrubs, shrubs, vines, or trees, usually multicellular-hairy (margins of leaves usually glandular-hairy), or sometimes absent (Andromeda); bark smooth or furrowed, not flaky. Stems erect, arching, spreading, creeping, or procumbent. Leaves deciduous or persistent, alternate, sometimes pseudoverticillate (Pieris); petiole usually present, sometimes absent (some species of Vaccinium); blade plane, abaxial groove absent. Inflorescences 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). Flowers 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-locular or 10-locular; placentation axile; style straight. Fruits capsular, dehiscence loculicidal, or baccate or drupaceous, indehiscent. Seeds 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.

Distribution

Nearly worldwide, especially arctic, temperate, and alpine areas, also very diverse in neotropical cloud forests

Discussion

Genera 46, species ca. 1600 (12 genera, 58 species in the flora)

Selected References

None.

epigynous +  and hypogynous +
Gordon C. Tucker +
Arnott +
furrowed +  and smooth +
not flaky +
coriaceous +
rotate to crateriform campanulate cylindric globose or urceolate +
urceolate;cylindric;urceolate;cylindric;campanulate +
Nearly worldwide +, especially arctic +, temperate +, and alpine areas +  and also very diverse in neotropical cloud forests +
undifferentiated +
fusiform +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
drupaceous +, baccate +  and capsular +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
pseudoverticillate +  and alternate +
persistent +  and deciduous +
usually much shorter +
revolute;plane;toothed;entire;revolute;plane;toothed;entire +
parietal +, axile +  and placentation +
tenuinucellate +  and unitegmic +
epigynous +  and hypogynous +
4 +  and 5 +
reduced +
not sticky +
4-5-carpellate +
M. Napier, Encycl. Brit. ed. 7 +
tan;yellowish-brown or brown +
distinct +
tailed +, obovoid +  and ellipsoid lanceoloid or conic +
connate +  and distinct +
procumbent +  and creeping +
spreading +, arching +  and erect +
hairy +  and glabrous +
peltate +  and capitate +
straight +
Ericaceae subfam. Vaccinioideae +
Ericaceae +
subfamily +
achlorophyllous +  and chlorophyllous +
evergreen +, deciduous +  and perennial +
tree +, vine +, shrub +  and subshrub +
heterotrophic +, autotrophic +  and mycotrophic +
multicellular-hairy +