Vaccinium arboreum
| Vaccinium arboreum | |
|---|---|
| File:Vaccinium arboreum Bibb Glades.jpg | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Vaccinium |
| Species: | V. arboreum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Vaccinium arboreum Marshall 1785
| |
| File:Vaccinium arboreum map.png | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
| |
Vaccinium arboreum (sparkleberry or farkleberry) is a species of Vaccinium native to the southeastern and south-central United States.
Description
[edit | edit source]Vaccinium arboreum is a shrub (rarely a small tree) growing to 3–5 metres (10–16+1⁄2 ft), rarely 9 m (30 ft) tall,[citation needed] with a diameter at breast height of up to 35 centimetres (14 in).[4] The leaves are evergreen in the south of the range, but deciduous further north where winters are colder; they are oval-elliptic with an acute apex, 3–7 cm (1+1⁄4–2+3⁄4 in) long and 2–4 cm broad, with a smooth or very finely toothed margin.
The flowers are white, bell-shaped, and 3–4 millimetres (1⁄8–3⁄16 in) in diameter with a five-lobed corolla, produced in racemes up to 5 cm (2 in) long. The fruit is a round dry berry about 6 mm (1⁄4 in) in diameter, green at first, black when ripe, bitter and tough.[4] Cytology is 2n = 24.[5]
Distribution and habitat
[edit | edit source]Sparkleberry could be found in the United States from southern Virginia west to southeastern Nebraska, south to Florida and eastern Texas, and north to Illinois.[6][7] It grows in sandy and rocky habitats, including dry woods. It also grows on a variety of moist sites such as wet bottomlands and along creek banks.[4]
Ecology
[edit | edit source]The berries are eaten by various wildlife.[8]
Uses
[edit | edit source]Because of its relative hardiness in comparison to other Vaccinium species, V. arboreum has been investigated as a potential rootstock for expanding the range of blueberry cultivation to less acidic soils (pH>6.0) and reducing the severity of bacterial leaf scorch.[9]
References
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- ^ The Plant List, Vaccinium arboreum var. glaucescens (Greene) Sarg.
- ^ Tropicos, Vaccinium arboreum Marshall
- ^ a b c Flora of North America, Vaccinium arboreum Marshall, 1785. Farkleberry
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ USDA; Native Distribution - V. arboreum . accessed 11.10.2010
- ^ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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External links
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- Missouri Plants: Vaccinium arboreum Archived 2007-05-21 at the Wayback Machine
- Virginia Tech Dendrology: Vaccinium arboreum
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile of Vaccinium arboreum
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