Vaccinium is a
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
of
shrubA shrub or bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody plant, distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 5-6 m tall. A large number of plants can be either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s or dwarf shrubs in the plant Family
EricaceaeEricaceae, the heath family or the heather family is a plant family, comprising mostly calcifuge plants that thrive in acidic soils. Many well-known plants of the Ericaceae live in temperate climates, such as cranberry, blueberry, various heaths and heathers , huckleberry, azalea and rhododendron...
. The
fruitThe term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants disseminate seeds, and the presence of seeds indicates that a structure is most likely a fruit, though not all seeds come from...
of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the
cranberryCranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccos, or in some treatments, in the distinct genus Oxycoccos...
,
blueberryBlueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries. Species in the section Cyanococcus are the most common fruits sold as "blueberries" and are mainly native to North America. They are usually erect but sometimes prostrate shrubs varying in size from to tall...
,
bilberryBilberry is any of several species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium , bearing edible fruits. The species most often referred to is Vaccinium myrtillus L., but there are several other closely related species....
or whortleberry, lingonberry or cowberry, and huckleberry. Like many other ericaceous plants, they are generally restricted to
acidAn acid is traditionally considered any chemical compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a solution with a hydrogen ion activity greater than in pure water, i.e. a pH less than 7.0...
ic soils.
Distribution
The genus contains about 450 species, which are found mostly in the cooler areas of the
Northern HemisphereThe Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of the equator—the word hemisphere literally means 'half sphere'. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, although there are tropical species from areas as widely separated as
MadagascarMadagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to...
and
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
.
Etymology
The name vaccinium
was used in classical LatinClassical Latin in simplest terms is the sociolinguistic register of the Latin language regarded by the enfranchised and empowered populations of the late Roman republic and the Roman empire as good Latin. Most writers during this time made use of it...
for a type of berry (probably the bilberryBilberry is any of several species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium , bearing edible fruits. The species most often referred to is Vaccinium myrtillus L., but there are several other closely related species....
V. myrtillus
), but its ultimate derivation is obscure; it has nothing to do with vaccinum
"of or pertaining to cows", but may be a corruption of Latin bacca,
berryThe botanical definition of a berry is a simple fruit produced from a single ovary, such as a grape or a tomato. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. The flowers of these plants have a superior ovary formed by the fusion of...
.
Characteristics
The plants require
acidAn acid is traditionally considered any chemical compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a solution with a hydrogen ion activity greater than in pure water, i.e. a pH less than 7.0...
ic soils, and as wild plants they live in habitats such as
heathA heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly infertile acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae...
,
bogA bog or mire is a wetland type that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—usually mosses, but also lichens in Arctic climates....
and acidic
woodlandEcologically, a woodland is an area covered in trees, usually at low density, forming an open habitat, allowing sunlight to penetrate between the trees, and limiting shade. Woodland may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to...
. The plant structure varies between species – some trail along the ground, some are dwarf shrubs, and some are larger shrubs perhaps tall. The
fruitThe term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants disseminate seeds, and the presence of seeds indicates that a structure is most likely a fruit, though not all seeds come from...
develops from an inferior ovary, and is a
false berryAn epigynous berry or false berry is an accessory fruit found in certain plant species with an inferior ovary, distinguishing it from a true berry. In these species other parts of the flower can ripen along with the ovary, forming the false berry...
; it is usually brightly coloured, often being red or bluish with purple juice.
Food uses
Vaccinium
species are used as food plants by the larvaA larva is a young form of animal with indirect development, going through or undergoing metamorphosis ....
e of a number of LepidopteraLepidoptera is an order of insects that includes moths and butterflies. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
(butterflyA butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera, butterflies are notable for their unusual life cycle with a larval caterpillar stage, an inactive pupal stage, and a spectacular metamorphosis into a familiar and colourful winged adult form. Most species are day-flying so...
and mothA moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. The differences between butterflies and moths are more than just taxonomy. Sometimes the names "Rhopalocera" and "Heterocera" are used to formalize the popular distinction...
) species – see list of Lepidoptera that feed on Vaccinium.
Taxonomy
The taxonomyTaxonomy is the practice and science of classification. The word finds its roots in the Greek , taxis and , nomos...
is complex, and still under investigation. A number of the Asian species are more closely related to Agapetes
than to other Vaccinium
species. A second group includes most of Orthaea
and Notopora
, at least some of GaylussaciaGaylussacia is a genus of about fifty species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to the Americas, where they occur in eastern North America and in South America in the Andes and the mountains of southeastern Brazil...
(huckleberry), and a number of species from Vaccinium
, such as Vaccinium crassifoliumCreeping blueberry is a species of Vaccinium native to the southeastern United States. It is evergreen with shiny dark green to bronze leaves...
. Other parts of Vaccinium
form other groups, sometimes together with species of other genera.
Subgenera
A classification which predates molecular phylogenyMolecular phylogenetics, also known as molecular systematics, is the use of the structure of molecules to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. The result of a molecular phylogenetic analysis is expressed in a phylogenetic tree....
divides Vaccinium
into subgenera, and several sections:
Subgenus Oxycoccus: The cranberriesCranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccos, or in some treatments, in the distinct genus Oxycoccos...
, with slender, trailing, wiry non-woody shoots and strongly reflexed flower petals. Some botanists treat Oxycoccus
as a distinct genus.
Oxycoccus
Vaccinium macrocarponCranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccos, or in some treatments, in the distinct genus Oxycoccos...
(American Cranberry)
Vaccinium microcarpumCranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccos, or in some treatments, in the distinct genus Oxycoccos...
(Small Cranberry)
Vaccinium oxycoccusCranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccos, or in some treatments, in the distinct genus Oxycoccos...
(Common Cranberry)
Sect. Oxycoccoides
Vaccinium erythrocarpumSouthern Mountain Cranberry , is a type of cranberry native to the southeastern United States. It is a deciduous shrub....
(Southern Mountain Cranberry)
Subgenus Vaccinium: All the other species, with thicker, upright woody shoots and bell-shaped flowers.
Batodendron
Vaccinium arboreumVaccinium arboreum is a species of Vaccinium native to the southeastern United States, from southern Virginia west to southeastern Missouri, and south to Florida and eastern Texas....
(Sparkleberry) (images)
Vaccinium crassifolium
(Creeping blueberry)
Sect. Brachyceratium
Vaccinium dependens
Sect. Bracteata
Vaccinium acrobracteatum
Vaccinium barandanum
Vaccinium bracteatum
Vaccinium coriaceum
Vaccinium cornigerum
Vaccinium cruentum
Vaccinium hooglandii
Vaccinium horizontale
Vaccinium laurifolium
Vaccinium lucidum
Vaccinium myrtoides
Vaccinium phillyreoides
Vaccinium reticulatovenosum
Vaccinium sparsum
Vaccinium varingifolium
Sect. Ciliata
Vaccinium ciliatum
Vaccinium oldhamii
Sect. Cinctosandra
Vaccinium exul
Sect. Conchophyllum
Vaccinium corymbodendron
Vaccinium delavayi
Vaccinium emarginatum
Vaccinium griffithianum
Vaccinium meridionale
Vaccinium moupinense
(Himalayan Blueberry)
Vaccinium neilgherrense
Vaccinium nummularia
Vaccinium retusum
Sect. Cyanococcus
(blueberriesBlueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries. Species in the section Cyanococcus are the most common fruits sold as "blueberries" and are mainly native to North America. They are usually erect but sometimes prostrate shrubs varying in size from to tall...
)
Vaccinium angustifolium
(Lowbush Blueberry)
Vaccinium boreale
(Northern Blueberry)
Vaccinium caesariense
(New Jersey Blueberry)
Vaccinium corymbosum
(Highbush Blueberry)
Vaccinium darrowiiVaccinium darrowii is a species of Vaccinium in the blueberry group .-Habitat:...
(Evergreen Blueberry)
Vaccinium elliottiiVaccinum elliottii is a species of Vaccinium in the blueberry group . It is native to the southeastern United States, from southeastern Virginia south to Florida, and west to Arkansas and Texas.-Growth:It is a deciduous shrub 2-4 m tall, with small, simple ovoid-acute leaves 15-30 mm long...
(Elliott's Blueberry)
Vaccinium formosum
Vaccinium fuscatum
(Black Highbush Blueberry; syn. V. atrococcum
)
Vaccinium hirsutum
Vaccinium koreanum
Vaccinium myrsinites
(Evergreen Blueberry)
Vaccinium myrtilloides
(Canadian Blueberry)
Vaccinium pallidum
(Dryland Blueberry) (images)
Vaccinium simulatum
Vaccinium tenellum
Vaccinium virgatum
(Rabbiteye Blueberry; syn. V. ashei
)
Sect. Eococcus
Vaccinium fragile
Sect. Epigynium
Vaccinium vacciniaceum
Sect. Galeopetalum
Vaccinium chunii
Vaccinium dunalianum
Vaccinium glaucoalbum
Vaccinium urceolatum
Sect. Hemimyrtillus
Vaccinium arctostaphylos
Vaccinium cylindraceum
Vaccinium hirtum
Vaccinium padifolium
Vaccinium smallii
Sect. Myrtillus
Vaccinium calycinum
Sm.Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...
- Ōhelo kau laau (HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
)
Vaccinium cespitosumVaccinium cespitosum, , the dwarf bilberry, is a species of flowering shrub in the genus which includes blueberries and cranberries. It is a low-lying plant rarely reaching half a meter in height which forms a carpetlike stand in rocky mountainous meadows. It is found across Canada and into the...
(Dwarf bilberry)
Vaccinium deliciosum
(Cascade Bilberry)
Vaccinium dentatum
Sm.Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...
- Ōhelo (Hawaii)
Vaccinium membranaceum
Vaccinium myrtillusVaccinium myrtillus is a species of bilberry....
(Bilberry)
Vaccinium ovalifoliumVaccinium ovalifolium is a plant found in coastal forests throughout southern Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.-Growth:...
(Alaska Blueberry; syn. V. alaskaense
)
Vaccinium parvifoliumRed Huckleberry is a species of Vaccinium native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, where it is common in forests from southeastern Alaska and British Columbia south through Washington and Oregon to central California...
(Red Huckleberry)
Vaccinium praestans
- Krasnika
in Russian
Vaccinium reticulatumThe Ōhelo ai is a species of flowering plant in the cranberry family, Ericaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It where it grows at altitudes of on lava flows and freshly disturbed volcanic ash on Maui and Hawaii, and less commonly on Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai...
Sm.Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...
- Ōhelo ai (Hawaii)
Vaccinium scoparium
(Grouse Whortleberry)
Sect. Neurodesia
Vaccinium crenatum
Sect. Oarianthe
Vaccinium ambyandrum
Vaccinium cyclopense
Sect. Oreades
Vaccinium poasanum
Sect. Pachyanthum
Vaccinium fissiflorum
Sect. Polycodium
Vaccinium stamineumVaccinium stamineum, commonly known as deerberry, squaw huckleberry or gooseberry, is a flowering shrub in the heath family. The plant is native to eastern North America from Ontario in the north, south to Florida and west to Texas...
L.Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature...
- Deerberry; syn. V. caesium
(Eastern North America) (images)
Sect. Pyxothamnus
Vaccinium consanguineum
Vaccinium floribundum
Vaccinium ovatumVaccinium ovatum is a species of flowering shrub known by the common names evergreen huckleberry and California huckleberry.-Distribution and ecology:...
PurshFrederick Traugott Pursh was a German-American botanist. Born in Grossenhain, Saxony, to the name Friedrich Traugott Pursh, he was educated at Dresden Botanical Gardens, and emigrated to the United States in 1799...
- California Huckleberry (Northwestern North America)
Sect. Vaccinium
Vaccinium uliginosumVaccinium uliginosum is a flowering plant in the genus Vaccinium.It is native to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, at low altitudes in the Arctic, and at high altitudes south to the Pyrenees, the Alps, and the Caucasus in Europe, the mountains of Mongolia, northern China and...
L.Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature...
- Northern (or Bog) Bilberry; syn. V. occidentale
(Northern North America and Eurasia)
Sect. Vitis-idaea
Vaccinium vitis-idaeaThe Vaccinium vitis-idaea – often called lingonberry and also called cowberry , foxberry, mountain cranberry, red whortleberry, lowbush cranberry, mountain bilberry, partridgeberry , and redberry – is a small evergreen shrub in the flowering plant family Ericaceae that...
L.Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature...
- Cowberry, Lingonberry (Northern North America and Eurasia)
Production
Production tonnes. Figures 2003-2004
FAOSTAT data (FAOThe is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy...
) |
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
280,503 |
80 % |
270,000 |
78 % |
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
|
52,651 |
15 % |
53,400 |
16 % |
BelarusBelarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel , Mahilyow and Vitebsk...
|
8,000 |
2 % |
10,000 |
3 % |
LatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , and to the southeast by Belarus . Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden...
|
8,000 |
2 % |
8,000 |
2 % |
AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , formally the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south...
|
2,000 |
1 % |
1,500 |
0 % |
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
|
1,000 |
0 % |
1,000 |
0 % |
TunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic , is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. Tunisia is located southwest of the island of Sicily and south of Sardinia. Its size is almost 165,000 km² with an estimated population of just...
|
50 |
0 % |
50 |
0 % |
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
|
50 |
0 % |
50 |
0 % |
| Total |
352 254 |
100 % |
344 000 |
100 % |
External links