Vaccinium membranaceum

Douglas ex Torrey

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.
... more about "Vaccinium membranaceum"
Sam P. Vander Kloet +
Douglas ex Torrey +
Thinleaf huckleberry +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Ont. +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mich. +, Mont. +, Oreg. +, S.Dak. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
900-3500 m +
Coniferous woods, especially cut-over stands, talus slopes, subalpine fir forests, alpine heaths +
Flowering late spring–early summer. +
in C. Wilkes et al., U.S. Expl. Exped. +
Vaccinium coccineum +, Vaccinium globulare +  and Vaccinium membranaceum var. rigidum +
Vaccinium membranaceum +
Vaccinium sect. Myrtillus +
species +