Vaccinium arboreum
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
Synonyms[2]

Vaccinium arboreum (sparkleberry or farkleberry) is a species of Vaccinium native to the southeastern and south-central United States, from southern Virginia west to southeastern Nebraska, south to Florida and eastern Texas, and north to Illinois.[4][5]

Description

Vaccinium arboreum is a shrub (rarely a small tree) growing to 3–5 m (7.5-12.5 feet) rarely 9 m) (22.5 feet) tall, with a diameter at breast height of up to 35 cm (14 inches). 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 long and 2–4 cm broad, with a smooth or very finely toothed margin. Sparkleberry grows on sand dunes, hammocks, dry hillsides, meadows, and in rocky woods. It also grows on a variety of moist sites such as wet bottomlands and along creek banks.[6]

The flowers are white, bell-shaped, and 3–4 mm (0.12-0.16 inches) in diameter with a five-lobed corolla, produced in racemes up to 5 cm (2 inches) long. The fruit is a round dry berry about 6 mm (0.24 inches) in diameter, green at first, black when ripe, edible but bitter and tough.[6] They are eaten by various wildlife.[7]

Because of its relative hardiness in comparison to other Vaccinium species, Vaccinium 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[8]

References

  1. ↑ IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group.; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; et al. (BGCI) (2020). "Vaccinium arboreum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T152906341A152906343. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T152906341A152906343.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Tropicos, Vaccinium arboreum Marshall
  3. ↑ The Plant List, Vaccinium arboreum var. glaucescens (Greene) Sarg.
  4. ↑ USDA; Native Distribution - V. arboreum . accessed 11.10.2010
  5. ↑ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  6. 1 2 Flora of North America, Vaccinium arboreum Marshall, 1785. Farkleberry
  7. ↑ Little, Elbert L. (1980). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region. New York: Knopf. p. 629. ISBN 0-394-50760-6.
  8. ↑ Darnell, Rebecca L.; Williamson, Jeffrey G.; Bayo, Deanna C.; Harmon, Philip F. (2020-01-01). "Impacts of Vaccinium arboreum Rootstocks on Vegetative Growth and Yield in Two Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars". HortScience. 55 (1): 40–45. doi:10.21273/HORTSCI14585-19. ISSN 0018-5345. S2CID 213728124.


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