Vaccinium L. (1753), in the family Ericaceae, contains around 450 species, including the cranberries and blueberries of North America and the bilberries of northern Europe.

Description Small trees to 4m, but usually low shrubs. The leaves are alternate, evergreen or deciduous. The flowers are in large or small bunches or solitary, bell-shaped and often narrowed at the mouth, cup-shaped or with reflexed petals. Sepals 4 or 5, joined at the base, often very small; petals 4 or 5, equal, usually joined to form the corolla. Stamens 8–10, the anthers opening by pores, sometimes with appendages. Ovary inferior. Carpels 5, fused, with numerous ovules; style straight. Pollination is by insects, usually bees. The fruits are fleshy berries with numerous seeds.

Key Recognition Features The sweet and juicy fruits from an inferior ovary are characteristic of the Vaccinium, which otherwise looks much like other related genera.

Evolution and Relationships Gaylussacia Kunth, with around
48 species in North and South America, is close to Vaccinium, and also has an inferior ovary, but has fruits with 1 stone, which is made up of 10 hard nutlets.

Ecology and Geography In wet bogs (cranberries), in woods, and on open moorland in temperate areas; many tropical species grow on mossy rocks and trees. Mainly in the northern hemisphere and on mountains in the tropics. There are 65 species in North America, 30 in tropical America, 8 in Europe, 6 in tropical Africa, 22 in Japan, 240 in Malaysia, and others in Asia.

Comment The most commonly cultivated species are the American cranberry, V. macrocarpon Ait., and the highbush blueberry V. corymbosum L.. The European bilberry or blaeberry, V. myrtillus L., is collected from the wild. The North AmericanV. stramineum L. is an attractive ornamental bearing white flowers with long, tubular, exserted anthers, which are pollinated by being “buzzed” by bees, to shake out the pollen. Vaccinium arctostaphylos L. from northern Turkey makes broussa (Bursa) tea. Leaves of the cowberry, V. vitis-idaea L., produce a yellow dye. Vaccinium glaucoalbum Clarke from the eastern Himalayas is striking for its handsome leaves, whitish beneath. Vaccinium ovatum Pursh is a common species in western North America.