Vaccinium pallidum

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 pallidum
Name

Vaccinium pallidum Aiton, 1789
Synonyms

Cyanococcus liparus Small
Cyanococcus pallidus (Ait.) Small
Cyanococcus subcordatus Small
Cyanococcus tallapusae Coville ex Small
Cyanococcus vacillans (Kalm ex Torr.) Rydb.
Vaccinium alto-montanum Ashe
Vaccinium corymbosum var. pallidum (Aiton) A.Gray
Vaccinium liparum (Small) Uphof
Vaccinium missouriense (Ashe) Ashe
Vaccinium pallidum var. crinitum (Fern.) Mohlenbr.
Vaccinium pennsylvanicum Torr.
Vaccinium subcordatum (Small) Uphof
Vaccinium tallapusae (Coville)
Vaccinium torreyanum Camp
Vaccinium vacillans Kalm ex Torr.
Vaccinium vacillans var. crinitum Fernald
Vaccinium vacillans var. missouriense Ashe
Vaccinium virgatum Bigel.
Vaccinium viride Ashe

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
References
Primary references

Aiton, W. 1789. Hortus Kewensis; or, a catalogue of the plants cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew. Vol. I. Monandria–Heptandria. XXX+496 pp., tt. 1–6. George Nicol, London. BHL Reference page. : 2:10.

Links

Hassler, M. 2020. Vaccinium pallidum. 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 pallidum 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 pallidum. Published online. Accessed: May 29 2020.
Tropicos.org 2020. Vaccinium pallidum. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 May 29.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Vaccinium pallidum in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 2020 May 29.

Vernacular names
English: Blue Ridge blueberry, dryland blueberry

Vaccinium pallidum is a species of flowering plant in the heath family known by the common names hillside blueberry, Blue Ridge blueberry, late lowbush blueberry, and early lowbush blueberry. It is native to central Canada (Ontario) and the central and eastern United States (from Maine west to Wisconsin and south as far as Georgia and Louisiana) plus the Ozarks of Missouri, Arkansas, southeastern Kansas and eastern Oklahoma.[2]

Vaccinium pallidum is a deciduous shrub, erect in stature but variable in height. It generally grows 23 to 51 centimeters (9 to 20 in) tall, but depending on environmental conditions it ranges from 8 centimeters (3.2 inches) to one full meter (40 inches) in height. It is colonial, sprouting from its rhizome to form colonies of clones. The shrub has greenish brown to red bark on its stems, and the smaller twigs may be green, reddish, yellowish, or gray. The alternately arranged leaves are also variable. They are generally roughly oval and measure 2 to 6 centimeters (0.8–2.4 inches) long. They are green to yellowish or bluish in color, turning red in the fall. The flowers are cylindrical, bell-shaped, or urn-shaped and are borne in racemes of up to 11. They are white to pinkish or greenish in color,[2] or "greenish white with pink striping",[1] and about half a centimeter[2] to one centimeter long.[1] They are pollinated by bees such as bumblebees and Andrena carlini.[1] The fruit is a berry up to 1.2 centimeters long. It is waxy blue to shiny black in color, or rarely pure white. It contains several seeds, a few of which are generally not viable. The plant reproduces sexually via seed and vegetatively by sprouting from the rhizome.[2][3]

Vaccinium pallidum grows in many types of habitat, including oak and chestnut woodlands, maple-dominated swamps, pine barrens, pine savanna, and a variety of forest types. It grows in the understory of trees such as red oak, black oak, white oak, post oak, chestnut oak, blackjack oak, Virginia pine, shortleaf pine, pitch pine, loblolly pine, longleaf pine, jack pine, eastern hemlock, red maple, and black cherry.[2]

Vaccinium pallidum is common on disturbed sites such as roadsides and abandoned fields. It also grows at climax in old-growth oak stands in the South Carolina piedmont. It can grow on dry, rocky soils, sandy and gravelly soils, and heavy clay. The climate is generally humid.[2]

The wild fruits are food for many types of bird and other animals. Each individual fruit has approximately eight calories. For humans the taste is "sweet to bland" and the fruit can be eaten fresh, in pies, or as jelly. The fruit is harvested and sold commercially in some areas, such as northeastern Alabama and northwestern Georgia. The plant is also grown as an ornamental.[2]
References

Vander Kloet, Sam P. (2009). "Vaccinium pallidum". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). 8. New York and Oxford – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Tirmenstein, D. A. (1991). "Vaccinium pallidum". Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory – via https://www.feis-crs.org/feis/.
"Vaccinium pallidum". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.