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Alpine Bilberry

Vaccinium uliginosum L.

Associations

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In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / gall
fruitbody of Exobasidium expansum causes gall of live shoot of Vaccinium uliginosum

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Lophodermium maculare is saprobic on dead leaf of Vaccinium uliginosum

Foodplant / feeds on
Monilia anamorph of Monilinia megalospora feeds on leaf or shoot of Vaccinium uliginosum

Foodplant / parasite
telium of Naohidemyces vacciniorum parasitises leaf of Vaccinium uliginosum
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
erumpent stroma of Protoventuria myrtilli is saprobic on dead leaf of Vaccinium uliginosum

Foodplant / parasite
subcuticular or subepidermal, clustered, pseudostromatic pseudothecium of Pyrenobotrys conferta parasitises live leaf of Vaccinium uliginosum

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Sporomega degenerans is saprobic on dead twig of Vaccinium uliginosum

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Comments

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The berry is nutritious and has a sweetish taste.
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of China Vol. 14: 502 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of China @ eFloras.org
editor
Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven & Hong Deyuan
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Description

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Shrubs deciduous, 0.5–1 m tall, alpine populations usually 10–15 cm tall, much branched, rhizomatous. Twigs terete, puberulous to glabrous. Leaves scattered; petiole ca. 2 mm, puberulous; leaf blade obovate or elliptic to oblong, 1–3 × 0.6–1.5 cm, papery, abaxially glaucous, puberulous, adaxially subglabrous, secondary veins 3–5 pairs, fine veins evident especially abaxially, base cuneate or broadly cuneate, margin plane, entire, with 1 basal gland per side, apex rounded, sometimes retuse. Inflorescences fasciculate, at end of shoot, 1–3-flowered; bracts caducous, 1.5–2.5 mm. Pedicel ca. 5 mm, glabrous. Flowers 4- or 5-merous. Hypanthium ca. 0.8 mm, glabrous; calyx lobes 4 or 5, triangular-ovate, ca. 1 mm. Corolla greenish white, broadly urceolate, ca. 5 mm, glabrous; lobes triangular, ca. 1 mm. Filaments ca. 1 mm, glabrous; anthers ca. 1.5 mm, thecae with 2 spurs, tubules slightly shorter than thecae. Berry 4- or 5-loculed, bluish purple, subglobose or ellipsoidal, with a bloom, ca. 1 cm in diam. Fl. Jun, fr. Jul–Aug. 2n = 24, 48.
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cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of China Vol. 14: 502 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of China @ eFloras.org
editor
Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven & Hong Deyuan
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Distribution

provided by eFloras
N Heilongjiang (Da Hinggan Ling), S Jilin (Changbai Shan), NE Nei Mongol (Da Hinggan Ling) [Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia; Europe, North America].
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of China Vol. 14: 502 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of China @ eFloras.org
editor
Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven & Hong Deyuan
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Habitat

provided by eFloras
Larix forests, forest margins, meadow-moors, alpine steppes; 900–2300 m.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of China Vol. 14: 502 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of China @ eFloras.org
editor
Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven & Hong Deyuan
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Common Names

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term: bog

bog blueberry
bog bilberry
alpine blueberry
alpine bilberry
bog huckleberry
bog whortleberry
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Cover Value

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term: cover

Bog blueberry presumably provides cover for a variety of small wildlife
species.  It often forms a dense understory layer that may serve as
hiding or resting sites for birds or small mammals.
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cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Description

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: bog, fruit, rhizome, shrub

Bog blueberry is a low, highly branched, deciduous shrub.  It is
prostrate to erect in form and generally reaches 8 to 16 inches (20-40
cm) in height.  The leaves are oval and leathery, and twigs are slender.
Older twigs have gray, shreddy bark.  The flowers are white to pink and
are borne singly or in clusters at the ends of stems.  The fruit is a
blue to black berry [1,75,87].  Bog blueberry can form dense mats or
open extensive colonies [81].

Bog blueberry roots in the organic layer and is rhizomatous.  Rhizome
depth ranges from superficial to 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) below the
surface [56].  Mycorrhizal associations exist on bog blueberry roots
that allow for increased plant nitrogen levels [28,48,78].  Bog
blueberry has a relatively high ratio of root biomass to shoot biomass
[32,69].  These adaptations are important for nutrient uptake in the
cold, poorly aerated, nitrogen-poor soils characteristic of bog
blueberry sites [10,32].
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Distribution

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term: bog

Bog blueberry is distributed throughout Alaska, Canada, and Greenland.
It occurs south through New England, the northern portions of the Great
Lakes States, and western Washington and Oregon [1,34,72,75,87].  Bog
blueberry is also found in Japan, other parts of Asia, and in Europe
[34,38,87].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Fire Ecology

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: bog, fire regime, severity

Bog blueberry sprouts from rhizomes or rootstocks following fire
[53,64,82].  It roots in the organic layer and therefore only survives
in patches where the organic layer is not consumed [9].  Fire destroys
the seeds, so bog blueberry must invade burned areas from off-site
sources [64].  Wildfires that occur in the wet sites that bog blueberry
often occupies are generally low in severity.

FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find FIRE REGIMES".
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Fire Management Considerations

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: bog, fruit, severity

Flower buds tend to be more numerous on new shoots, and periodic removal
of old shoots may increase flower production in many species of
Vaccinium [58].  Berry production, however, may be delayed for a few
years.  Ground fires of moderate severity favor growth and development
of bog blueberry, and prescribed burning is the recommended management
tool to increase berry yield [62].  Burning should take place in late
fall or early spring before growth resumes [74].

In Russia, low- to moderate-severity ground fires caused 2.2 to 3.1 fold
increases in the number of bog blueberry shoots per unit area.  Annual
growth increments also increased, and were nearly two times greater in
plants on burned areas than in plants on unburned areas.  Fruit
production resumed 3 years after fire, and berries in burned areas were
larger and healthier (more resistant to damage) than berries in other
areas.  Yield in burned areas was also greater than in adjacent unburned
sites [62].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Growth Form (according to Raunkiær Life-form classification)

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More info on this topic.

More info for the term: phanerophyte

   Phanerophyte
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Habitat characteristics

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: bog, shrub, tundra, tussock

Bog blueberry occupies sites ranging from sea level to alpine zones
[71].  It occurs in organic or inorganic soils that are generally acidic
(pH 3.5 to 6.2) [81].  Bog blueberry can tolerate a wide range of soil
moisture conditions and is found on well-drained to poorly drained
sites.  Bog blueberry is found in sites characteristic of cool-temperate
to cool-mesothermal climates [47].

Bog blueberry occurs in a wide variety of habitats, such as coastal and
interior bogs [2,6,49,51]; cottongrass tussock tundra [5,6]; low shrub
tundra [2,5,9]; sedge meadows [6,39,46]; black or white spruce woodlands
[2,5,81]; forested areas [71,87]; rocky or sandy shores of lakes and
streams [8,11,42]; rock outcrops [12,72]; and barrens [23,72].
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Habitat: Cover Types

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This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

     1  Jack pine
     5  Balsam fir
    12  Black spruce
    13  Black spruce - tamarack
    38  Tamarack
   107  White spruce
   201  White spruce
   202  White spruce - paper birch
   204  Black spruce
   205  Mountain hemlock
   206  Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir
   218  Lodgepole pine
   224  Western hemlock
   225  Western hemlock - Sitka spruce
   227  Western redcedar - western hemlock
   228  Western redcedar
   251  White spruce - aspen
   253  Black spruce - white spruce
   254  Black spruce - paper birch
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Habitat: Ecosystem

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

   FRES10  White - red - jack pine
   FRES11  Spruce - fir
   FRES23  Fir - spruce
   FRES24  Hemlock - Sitka spruce
   FRES26  Lodgepole pine
   FRES44  Alpine
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Habitat: Plant Associations

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More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the terms: bog, forest

   K001  Spruce - cedar - hemlock forest
   K002  Cedar - hemlock - Douglas-fir forest
   K004  Fir - hemlock forest
   K008  Lodgepole pine - subalpine forest
   K015  Western spruce - fir forest
   K093  Great Lakes spruce - fir forest
   K094  Conifer bog
   K095  Great Lakes pine forest
   K096  Northeastern spruce - fir forest
license
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Immediate Effect of Fire

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term: bog

Fire generally top-kills bog blueberry.  Moderate- to high-severity
fires may also kill underground vegetative structures.
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Importance to Livestock and Wildlife

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: bog, lichens, litter

Bog blueberry is consumed by many species of wildlife.  Many songbirds
and game birds including ptarmigan and spruce grouse eat the berries,
often before they are ripe [57,80].  Bog blueberry leaves are important
in the diet of spruce grouse throughout the spring, summer, and fall
[20].  Many small mammals including chipmunks, squirrels, mice, and
rabbits also consume bog blueberry leaves or fruits.  Consumption of
leaves by snowshoe hares is highest in the spring [91].  Ninety-two
percent of the red-backed vole's fall diet consists of berries, many of
which are bog blueberries [90].

Caribou and moose browse on bog blueberry.  In northwestern Manitoba,
occurrence of leaves and twigs in caribou rumen samples was 75 percent
in April and 81 percent in November [61].  Bog blueberry was also
detected in samples in the winter months but may have been consumed as
litter as the caribou browsed on lichens [73].  Moose lightly browse bog
blueberry throughout the year [52].

When available, bog blueberries are one of the most important fruits
consumed by black bear in interior Alaska.  The berries are utilized
heavily from July to September [29].  Black bear browse on bog blueberry
leaves in the spring [55].  Brown bear are also known to eat bog
blueberries [60].
   
license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Key Plant Community Associations

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: bog, codominant, forest, fruit, lichens, peatland, shrub, tree, tundra

Bog blueberry can occur as a dominant or codominant in a variety of
habitats within its range.  It may occur as an understory component in
open or closed forest habitats, primarily with black or white spruce
(Picea mariana; P. glauca) [25,65,76,85,70].  Bog blueberry can also
dominate or codominate in dwarf shrub types, bogs or muskegs, and on
open tundra [27,43,86].

Other associated tree species include:  Alaska-cedar (Chamaecyparis
nootkatensis), quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), balsam poplar (P.
balsamifera), and paper birch (Betula papyrifera).

Associated understory species include:  willows (Salix spp.), alders
(Alnus spp.), bog birch (Betula glandulosa), dwarf arctic birch (B.
nana), Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum and L. palustre), lignonberry
(Vaccinium vitis-idaea), bunchberry dogwood (Cornus canadensis),
rustyleaf menziesia (Menziesia ferruginea), crowberry (Empetrum nigrum),
red fruit bearberry (Arctostaphylos rubra), leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne
calyculata), bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia), cloudberry (Rubus
chamaemorus), bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia), salal (Gaultheria
shallon), fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), Labrador lousewort
(Pedicularis labradorica), entire leaf mountain avens (Dryas
integrifolia), Mt. Washington mountain avens (D. octopetala), bluejoint
reedgrass (Calamagrostis canadensis), altai fescue (Festuca altaica),
cottonsedge (Eriophorum vaginatum and E. angustifolium), and various
sedges (Carex spp.), feathermosses (Hylocomium, Pleurozium, and
Stereocaulon spp.), clubmosses (Lycopodium spp.), sphagnum mosses
(Sphagnum spp.), and lichens (Cladonia and Cladina spp.).

Published classifications listing bog blueberry as a major component of
plant associations (pas), community types (cts), or vegetation types
(vts) are as follows:

   AREA                  CLASSIFICATION            AUTHORITY
 
interior AK            postfire forest cts       Foote 1983
nw AK                         cts                Hanson 1953
AK                       gen. veg. pas           Viereck & Dyrness 1980
AK: Seward Peninsula          cts                Kelso 1989
YT                            vts                Stanek and others 1981
OR: Willamette NF        gen. veg. pas           Hemstrom and others 1987
Newfoundland              peatland pas           Pollett 1972
N.W.T.                        cts                Black & Bliss 1978
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Life Form

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term: shrub

Shrub
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Management considerations

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: bog, cover, frequency, hardwood, peat, rhizome, seed, softwood

Leaf production of bog blueberry increased in response to overgrazing by
caribou in arctic Canada.  Average cover was 9 percent in overgrazed
areas but only 2 percent in areas that were not overgrazed [31].

In one study, bog blueberry showed no significant response to
fertilization or irrigation [40].

White spruce stands on Willow Island, Alaska were subjected to clearcut
and shelterwood treatments.  Second year average percent cover and
average percent frequency of bog blueberry in the stands were as follows
[18]:

              Control   Clearcut   Shelterwood, 46 ft.  Shelterwood, 30 ft.
                                     (14 m) spacing       (9 m) spacing
              _____________________________________________________________
Cover           0.3        0.1            +                   0.5
Frequency       6.0        7.0           3.0                 13.0


Vegetative propagation of bog blueberry has been more successful with
root or rhizome cuttings than with stem cuttings.  Rooting percentages
from both hardwood and softwood stem cuttings were poor, whereas 52
percent of rhizome cuttings produced shoots when planted immediately
after collection [36].

Blueberries can also be grown from seed.  In general, the seeds should
be planted in a mixture of sand and peat.  Seedlings grown in the
greenhouse can be transplanted 6 to 7 weeks after emergence but should
not be transferred to the field until after the first growing season.
Blueberries are exacting in their site requirements and are difficult to
establish on sites that do not meet their specific needs.  Naturally
occurring stands can usually be managed successfully [13].
license
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Nutritional Value

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More info for the term: bog

The nutritional value of bog blueberry is not well documented.  However,
Vaccinium species in general have sweet berries that contain high
concentrations of mono- and disaccharides [77].  They are rich in
vitamin C, high in energy content, and low in fat [68].
license
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Occurrence in North America

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
     AK  CA  ME  MI  MN  NH  NY  OR  VT  WA
     WI  AB  BC  LB  MB  NB  NF  NT  NS  ON
     PE  PQ  SK  YT
license
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Other uses and values

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: bog, fresh, fruit

Bog blueberries are edible and have good flavor [37].  The berries are
often picked in large quantities [1,87] and used in jams, jellies, and
pies [37,38].  They are the most popular fruit of Native Americans in
the Fort Yukon region [35].  Fresh or dried leaves can be used for tea
[71].  Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) leaves, flowers, and rhizomes have
been used for medicinal purposes [81].

Bog blueberry has no economic importance [8], but its cold hardiness
(including late flowering) and resistance to the blueberry fungus
Fusicoccum putrefaciens make it useful for hybridizing with more
economically important species [33,81].

A high correlation exists between concentrations of uranium, copper, and
lead in bog blueberry leaf tissues and levels of these metals in the
surrounding soil.  The ability of bog blueberry to reflect heavy metal
concentrations in till favors its use as a tool in mineral exploration.
The advantages and disadvantages of using bog blueberry for
biogeochemical prospecting have been considered [15].
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Palatability

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Palatability of Vaccinium species as browse is rated as fair to moderate
[14].
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Phenology

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More info on this topic.

Bog blueberry flowers from June to early July.  Fruits ripen from late
July through September [23,42,75].
license
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Plant Response to Fire

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: bog, cover, frequency, tundra, tussock

Bog blueberry sprouts from surviving rhizomes or rootstocks after low to
moderate-severity fires.  Burned aerial stems may also sprout [64,88].
Bog blueberry grows rapidly for the first 50 to 60 years after fire [9],
and reaches its highest postfire cover and frequency 50 to 120 years
after burning [4].  Bog blueberry leaves are larger in burned areas,
even after 5 years [89].

Dyrness [17] found that bog blueberry in black spruce stands increased
in biomass production after light summer fires.  The increase in biomass
production corresponded to an increase in nutrient uptake.  Nutrient
levels (percent dry weight) in lightly burned versus unburned areas were
as follows:

                     N          P         K          Ca        Mg
                   ________________________________________________
unburned            .613       .074      .192       .172      .056
lightly burned      1.85       .324      .966       .394      .130

In the 4 years following the Wickersham Dome Fire near Fairbanks,
Alaska, bog blueberry in black spruce stands increased in percent cover
and biomass production, but did not reach control levels.  Recovery in
lightly burned stands was much greater than in heavily burned stands
[86].

Biomass production in bog blueberry decreased following a summer fire in
tussock tundra near Fairbanks, Alaska.  Production in burned areas was
significantly lower (P less than .05) than in adjacent unburned areas 13 years
after the fire [24].
license
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Post-fire Regeneration

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More info for the terms: caudex, root crown, seed

   survivor species; on-site surviving root crown or caudex
   survivor species; on-site surviving rhizomes
   off-site colonizer; seed carried by animals or water; postfire yr 1&2
license
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Regeneration Processes

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More info for the terms: bog, layering, seed, stratification

Bog blueberry is capable of vegetative and sexual reproduction.  It
regenerates vegetatively by layering or sprouting from rhizomes.

Seeds of most Vacciniums are not dormant and require no pretreatment for
germination [13].  In one study, however, bog blueberry seeds exhibited
shallow dormancy, and a 30-day cold stratification at 35 degrees
Fahrenheit (2 deg C) increased germination success.  Very few stratified
or unstratified seeds germinated at temperatures below 59 degrees
Fahrenheit (15 deg C) [7].  Seed viability of most Vacciniums is of
short duration [85].

Seeds are readily dispersed by the birds and animals that eat bog
blueberry fruits [63].  Bog blueberry seedlings can colonize exposed
mineral soil [59], but seedlings are rare in established adult
populations [21].
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Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Regional Distribution in the Western United States

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This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

   1  Northern Pacific Border
   2  Cascade Mountains
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Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Successional Status

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More info for the terms: bog, climax, cover, forest, frequency, shrub, succession, tundra, woodland

Bog blueberry remains an important component of forest and woodland
understory through the early, mid-seral, and late stages of succession
[9,19].  It is important in the early shrub stages of tundra succession,
as well as in climax stages [83].  Bog blueberry can also be found in
dense, mature-climax forest stands [16,25].

Bog blueberry can sprout from underground plant parts following fire and
remains important throughout successional stages.  The following cover
and frequency percentages were found in black spruce stands in interior
Alaska [25]:

  Stage              Years after fire    Frequency(%)    Cover(%)
___________________________________________________________________
Newly burned             0 - 1              38.0      less than 0.5
Moss-herb                1 - 5              62.0           3.0
Tall shrub-sapling       5 - 30             40.0           5.0
Dense tree              30 - 55             65.0           8.0
Mixed hardwood-spruce   55 - 90             59.0           5.0
Spruce                  90 - 200+           42.0           2.0
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Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Synonyms

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Vaccinium occidentale A. Gray
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Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Taxonomy

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More info for the term: bog

The currently accepted scientific name of bog blueberry is Vaccinium
uliginosum Linnaeus [1,34,37,41,72]. It has been placed within the
section Vaccinium of the taxonomically complex genus Vaccinium [81].
Recognized subspecies and varieties based on morphological
characteristics or distribution are as follows:

Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. alpinum (Bigel.) Hulten [37,87]
Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. microphyllum Lange [37,41,81]
Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. pubescens (Wormsk. ex Hornem.) Young [41,75,81]
Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale (Gray) Hulten [41,81]
Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. pedris (Harshberger) Young [41,81]
Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. gaultherioides (Bigel.) Young [81]
Vaccinium uliginosum var. alpinum Bigel. [23,37,72,75,87]
Vaccinium uliginosum var. salicinum (Cham.) Hulten [37,81]
Vaccinium uliginosum var. uliginosum Linnaeus [1,34,37,41,72]
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Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Value for rehabilitation of disturbed sites

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More info for the terms: bog, reclamation, seed, tundra

Bog blueberry has been successful at naturally colonizing local seismic
lines in the subarctic [44].  It has also naturally colonized borrow
pits in tundra regions of northwestern Canada and may be of use in
managed reclamation projects [45].

Bog blueberry is tolerant of high concentrations of heavy metals in the
soil.  Leaf tissues can accumulate uranium, copper, lead, zinc, nickel,
and iron in large quantities with no apparent detrimental effects to the
plant [15].  The ability to inhabit soils with high concentrations of
these metals may favor the use of bog blueberry in certain revegetation
programs.

Bog blueberry could not be established from seed during the first
growing season in simulated pipeline trenches near Fort Norman,
Northwest Territories.  Bog blueberry has, however, successfully
germinated after one or two growing seasons when planted in other areas
[59].
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Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium uliginosum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Vaccinium uliginosum

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Vaccinium uliginosum (bog bilberry, bog blueberry,[2] northern bilberry or western blueberry[3]) is a Eurasian and North American flowering plant in the genus Vaccinium within the heath family.

Distribution

Vaccinium uliginosum 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, the Korean Peninsula and central Japan in Asia, and the Sierra Nevada in California and the Rocky Mountains in Utah in North America.[4][5][6][7]

It grows on wet acidic soils on heathland, moorland, tundra, and in the understory of coniferous forests, from sea level in the Arctic, up to 3,400 metres (11,200 ft) altitude in the south of the range.

Description

Vaccinium uliginosum is a small deciduous shrub growing to 10–75 cm (4–30 in) tall, rarely 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall, with brown stems (unlike the green stems of the closely related bilberry). The leaves are oval, 4–30 mm (5321+316 in) long and 2–15 mm (5641932 in) wide, blue-green with pale net-like veins, with a smooth margin and rounded apex.[4]

The flowers are pendulous, urn-shaped, pale pink, 4–6 mm (5321564 in) long, produced in mid spring. The fruit is a dark blue-black berry 5–8 mm (316516 in) diameter, with a white flesh, edible and sweet when ripe in late summer.[4]

Subspecies

Three subspecies have been described, but not all authorities distinguish them:[1][4]

  • Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. microphyllum Lange – Arctic plants
  • Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale (A.Gray) Hultén – North American plants
  • Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. uliginosum

Culinary use

The berries can be eaten raw or cooked, used to make jelly or pies, or dried to make pemmican.[8] Bog bilberry is used in infused liquor in Korea.

References

  1. ^ a b "Vaccinium uliginosum". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
  2. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Vaccinium uliginosum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  3. ^ Wallace, Gary D. (2017). "Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale". In Jepson Flora Project (ed.). Jepson eFlora. The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d Vander Kloet, Sam P. (2009). "Vaccinium uliginosum". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 8. New York and Oxford – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  5. ^ Fang, Ruizheng; Steven, Peter F. "Vaccinium uliginosum". Flora of China. Vol. 14 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  6. ^ Altervista Flora Italiana, Falso mirtillo, Vaccinium uliginosum L.
  7. ^ "Vaccinium uliginosum". State-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
  8. ^ Nyerges, Christopher (2017). Foraging Washington: Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods. Guilford, CT: Falcon Guides. ISBN 978-1-4930-2534-3. OCLC 965922681.
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Vaccinium uliginosum: Brief Summary

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Vaccinium uliginosum (bog bilberry, bog blueberry, northern bilberry or western blueberry) is a Eurasian and North American flowering plant in the genus Vaccinium within the heath family.

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