Gaylussacia brachycera

(Michaux) A. Gray

Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 3: 54. 1846 ,.

Common names: Box huckleberry
Endemic
Basionym: Vaccinium brachycerum Michaux Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 234. 1803
Synonyms: Buxella brachycera (Michaux) Small
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 532. Mentioned on page 530, 531.

Plants 2–4 dm, forming small to extensive colonies; branches spreading or procumbent; twigs of current season pale green to grayish brown, (strongly angled), puberulent. Leaves persistent; petiole 0.5–3 mm; blade pale green abaxially, shiny dark green adaxially, ovate, 1–2.5 × 0.5–1.3 cm, coriaceous, base rounded, margins crenate or serrulate, (revolute), apex obtuse, without resinous dots, surfaces glabrous adaxially, glabrous or puberulent along midvein and near blade base. Inflorescences spreading, 2–5-flowered, sometimes flowers solitary, ebracteate, 0.5–1 cm, puberulent. Pedicels 0.5–3 mm, glabrous; bracteoles (early deciduous), 1–3, (ovate), 2–4 mm, (margins ciliate). Flowers: sepals 4–5, 0.3–0.5 mm, glabrous; petals 4–5, corolla white to pink, campanulate-urceolate, 4 mm, lobes broadly deltate to rounded, 0.5–1.5 mm; filaments 1–1.5 mm, glabrous; anthers included, 1–1.5 mm, thecae not divergent distally; ovary glabrous. Drupes juicy, sweet, light blue, 6–8 mm diam., glabrous. Seeds 1–1.5 mm.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat: Upland or montane woods
Elevation: (10-)200-1000 m

Distribution

V8 1036-distribution-map.gif

Del., Ky., Md., N.C., Pa., Tenn., Va., W.Va.

Discussion

Gaylussacia brachycera is a dwarf evergreen shrub that forms large, solid-mat, self-sterile colonies, each one appearing to consist of a single clone that may extend over more than one hectare. One colony in Perry County, Pennsylvania, is about 1.5 kilometers wide; it appears to be a single clone that is over 12,000 years old and has been labeled as the oldest living thing in the world.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"entire" is not a number.

... more about "Gaylussacia brachycera"
epigynous +  and hypogynous +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
Bruce A. Sorrie +, Alan S. Weakley +  and Gordon C. Tucker +
(Michaux) A. Gray +
furrowed +  and smooth +
not flaky +
rounded +
Vaccinium brachycerum +
dark green +  and pale green +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
coriaceous +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
small +  and extensive +
Box huckleberry +
white +  and pink +
rotate to crateriform campanulate cylindric globose or urceolate +
campanulate-urceolate +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +
Del. +, Ky. +, Md. +, N.C. +, Pa. +, Tenn. +, Va. +  and W.Va. +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
(10-)200-1000 m +
undifferentiated +
fusiform +
flattened +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
ovoid;globose +
Upland or montane woods +
pseudoverticillate +  and alternate +
persistent +
broadly deltate +  and rounded +
? (?) +  and 0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (?) +
reticulodromous +
hairy +  and glabrous +
serrulate;crenate +
parietal +, axile +  and placentation +
tenuinucellate +  and unitegmic +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
epigynous +  and hypogynous +
white;pink or orange +
4 +  and 5 +
reduced +
not sticky +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Flowering late spring–early summer. +
5-10-carpellate +
Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. +
pale green +  and grayish brown +
tan;yellowish-brown or brown +
distinct +
ellipsoid +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (?) +
4 +  and 5 +
deltate +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
procumbent +  and creeping +
hairy +  and glabrous +
peltate +  and capitate +
straight +
puberulent +  and glabrous +
Buxella brachycera +
Gaylussacia brachycera +
Gaylussacia +
species +
papillose +
hairy +  and glabrous +
achlorophyllous +  and chlorophyllous +
evergreen +, deciduous +  and perennial +
heterotrophic +, autotrophic +  and mycotrophic +
multicellular-hairy +