Vaccinium tenellum
Berry and plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vaccinium tenellum, also known as the small black blueberry or southern blueberry, is a North American plant species.
| Small black blueberry | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Vaccinium |
| Section: | Vaccinium sect. Cyanococcus |
| Species: | V. tenellum |
| Binomial name | |
| Vaccinium tenellum Aiton | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Cyanococcus tenellus (Aiton) Small | |
Description
Vaccinium tenellum is a deciduous shrub up to 80 centimeters (31 inches) tall, often forming large colonies. The leaves are elliptic and up to 4 cm (1+1⁄2 in) long.
The flowers are white or pale pink, cylindrical, up to 10 millimeters (3⁄8 in) long. The fruits are very dark blue, almost black, and about 7 mm (1⁄4 in) across.[2][3][4][5][6][7] The species is diploid, with 24 total chromosomes.[8]
Distribution and habitat
It is native to the southeastern United States from southeastern Mississippi to northern Florida to southern Virginia. It grows in forests and in shrubby areas at elevations up to 200 m (660 ft).[2]
