Vaccinium membranaceum

Douglas ex Torrey in C. Wilkes et al.

in C. Wilkes et al., U.S. Expl. Exped. 17: 377. 1874,.

Common names: Thinleaf huckleberry
Endemic
Synonyms: Vaccinium coccineum Piper Vaccinium globulare Rydberg Vaccinium membranaceum var. rigidum (Hooker) Fernald
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 8. Treatment on page 523. Mentioned on page 516.

Plants forming small to extensive clumps, rarely crown-forming, 2–30 dm, not rhizomatous; twigs of current season yellow-green or reddish green, terete to slightly angled, glabrous or hairy in lines. Leaf-blades usually green, broadly elliptic to ovate, 25–50 × 11–23 mm, margins sharply serrate, surfaces glandular abaxially. Flowers: calyx green, obscurely lobed, glabrous; corolla white, cream, yellowish pink, or bronze, globose to urceolate, 3–5 × 5–7 mm, thin, glaucous; filaments glabrous. Berries shiny or dull black or deep purple, rarely red or white, 9–13 mm diam. Seeds ca. 1 mm. 2n = 48.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat: Coniferous woods, especially cut-over stands, talus slopes, subalpine fir forests, alpine heaths
Elevation: 900-3500 m

Distribution

V8 1018-distribution-map.gif

Alta., B.C., Ont., Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mich., Mont., Oreg., S.Dak., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Vaccinium membranaceum is, by far, the most widely commercially utilized western huckleberry for fruit and is harvested extensively from the wild. This species served as an especially important source of food for native peoples throughout western North America, and the dried berries were used for winter food and trade.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

No values specified."entire" is not a number.

... more about "Vaccinium membranaceum"
epigynous +  and hypogynous +
Sam P. Vander Kloet +
Douglas ex Torrey in C. Wilkes et al. +
conspicuous +
furrowed +  and smooth +
not flaky +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
white +, red +, purple +, deep +, black +, dull +  and shiny +
ovate;oblong-lanceolate or spatulate +
membranous;coriaceous +
Thinleaf huckleberry +
bronze +, yellowish pink +, cream +  and white +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
rotate to crateriform campanulate cylindric globose or urceolate +
globose;urceolate +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Ont. +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mich. +, Mont. +, Oreg. +, S.Dak. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
900-3500 m +
undifferentiated +
fusiform +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
ovoid;globose +
Coniferous woods, especially cut-over stands, talus slopes, subalpine fir forests, alpine heaths +
terminal +  and axillary +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
broadly elliptic;ovate +
pseudoverticillate +  and alternate +
subpersistent +  and deciduous +
usually much shorter +
shorter to longer +
10-locular +, pseudo +  and 4-5-locular +
parietal +, axile +  and placentation +
tenuinucellate +  and unitegmic +
epigynous +  and hypogynous +
red;cream;pink bronze or green +
reduced +
not sticky +
Flowering late spring–early summer. +
4-5-carpellate +
in C. Wilkes et al., U.S. Expl. Exped. +
2-10-flowered +
reddish green +  and yellow-green +
hairy +  and glabrous +
terete +  and slightly angled +
tan;yellowish-brown or brown +
distinct +
ellipsoid +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
procumbent +  and creeping +
creeping +, spreading +  and erect +
hairy +  and glabrous +
peltate +  and capitate +
straight +
brochidodromous +
hairy +  and glabrous +
Vaccinium coccineum +, Vaccinium globulare +  and Vaccinium membranaceum var. rigidum +
Vaccinium membranaceum +
Vaccinium sect. Myrtillus +
species +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
evergreen +, deciduous +  and perennial +
heterotrophic +, autotrophic +  and mycotrophic +
multicellular-hairy +