Vaccinium elliottii

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Ordo: Ericales

Familia: Ericaceae
Subfamilia: Vaccinioideae
Tribus: Vaccinieae
Genus: Vaccinium
Sectio: V. sect. Cyanococcus
Species: Vaccinium elliottii
Name

Vaccinium elliottii Chapm.
Synonyms

Cyanococcus elliottii (Chapman) Small

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Northern America
Regional: Southeastern USA
USA (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia)

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Chapman, A.W. 1860. Flora of the Southern United States; Containing Abridged Descriptions of the Flowering Plants and Ferns of Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida: Arranged According to the Natural System. The ferns by D.C. Eaton. New York: Ivison, Phinney & co. BHL Reference page. : 260.

Links

Hassler, M. 2020. Vaccinium elliottii. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2020. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 May 29. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Vaccinium elliottii in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 May 29. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Vaccinium elliottii. Published online. Accessed: May 29 2020.
Tropicos.org 2020. Vaccinium elliottii. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 May 29.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Vaccinium elliottii in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 2020 May 29.

Vernacular names
English: Elliott's blueberry

Vaccinium elliottii (Elliott's blueberry) is a species of Vaccinium in the blueberry group (Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus). It is native to the southeastern and south-central United States, from southeastern Virginia south to Florida, and west to Arkansas and Texas.

Growth

Vaccinium elliottii is a deciduous shrub 2–4 m (6.6–13.1 ft) tall, with small, simple ovoid-acute leaves 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) long with a finely serrated margin. The flowers are pale pink, bell-shaped, 6–8 mm long, opening in the early spring before the new leaves appear.

The fruit is an edible berry 5–8 mm diameter. There are two variants one having tart shiny blue black berries and the other sweeter type having a whitish waxy bloom over the otherwise blue black berries; they ripen from late spring (in Florida) through summer (in Arkansas and Virginia).
Cultivation and uses

Vaccinium elliottii produces a particularly large yield of somewhat sour berries. It is popular for late-season fruit.
Gallery

Vaccinium elliottii - Leaves

An unripe Elliott's blueberry, the actual berry is at the picture's bottom.