Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Common Bilberry
Vaccinium myrtillus
Heather family (Ericaceae)

The Rocky Mountain region has several species of Vaccinium and Vaccinium myrtillus is one of the most common and is also one of the most common plants throughout these mountains. It is especially abundant below spruce where it often carpets the acidic ground in a soft pattern of small, green leaves. Unfortunately Vaccinium myrtillus produces few bell flowers and therefore often has no . But when the is there, it is tasty and sought after by a wide range of wildlife, especially bears and wild people. Linnaeus named this species and in 1753. "Vaccinium" is from the Latin for "cows" (as in "vaccine") and "myrtillus" means "myrtle-like."


©2006 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy

Description

shrub, 4-18" tall, with slender, spreading intertwined branches. Twigs commonly green and sharply angled. Inconspicuous flowers are pink-white to green-white, urn-shaped, translucent, arising under leaves, singly from leaf axils of new stems. Leaves are small, , , , widest on upper portion and narrowing to point. Leaf margin finely , prominently veined, and somewhat beneath. are round dark red-blue-purple , often with a white bloom. Leaves turn yellow, red, or brown in the fall.

Field Marks

Short, slender-stemmed shrub with tiny vase-like flowers followed by round blue .

© Al Schneider

ovate -- Oval, egg-shaped, with a tapering point.

Like the teeth on a saw, leaves and other surfaces can have toothed edges.

Glands are plant structures that secrete liquids, salts or other substances. Glands often appear as hairs with a drop of liquid at the end.

Deciduous plants are those that lose all of their leaves for part of the year.

fruit -- any seed-bearing structure in flowering plants. It is formed from the ovary after flowering.

The botanical term "berry" is different from common usage. Strawberries and raspberries are not berries. But a tomatoe is. A true berry is a fruit with the seeds immersed in the pulp.

genus -- A subdivision of a botanical Family in which all members have a significant number of similar characteristics.

alternate -- leaves alternate along the main stem and are attached singly.

A simple leaf blade is one that is not divided into separate leaflets.