Vaccinium oxycoccos

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Vaccinium oxycoccos
File:VacciniumOxycoccos.jpg
fruit on a bed of Sphagnum rubellum

Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
(unranked):
(unranked):
(unranked):
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
V. oxycoccos
Binomial name
Vaccinium oxycoccos
L. 1753
Synonyms[1][2]
Synonymy
  • Vaccinium oxycoccus Linnaeus
  • Oxycoca vulgaris Raf.
  • Oxycoccus oxycoccos (L.) MacMill.
  • Oxycoccus palustris Pers.
  • Oxycoccus quadripetalus Schinz & Thell.
  • Oxycoccus quadripetalus Gilib.
  • Oxycoccus vulgaris Hill
  • Schollera europaea Steud.
  • Schollera oxycoccos (L.) Roth
  • Schollera paludosa Baumg.
  • Schollera palustris Steud.

Lua error in Module:Taxonbar/candidate at line 22: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Vaccinium oxycoccos is a species of flowering plant in the heath family. It is known by the common names small cranberry, bog cranberry, swamp cranberry,[3] or, particularly in Britain, just cranberry.[4] It is widespread throughout the cool temperate northern hemisphere, including northern Europe, northern Asia and northern North America.[3]

This cranberry is a small, prostrate shrub with vine-like stems that root at the nodes. The leaves are leathery and lance-shaped, up to 1 cm (0.39 in) long.[3] Flowers arise on nodding stalks a few centimeters tall. The corolla is white or pink and flexed backward away from the center of the flower. The fruit is a red berry which has spots when young. It measures up to 1.2 cm (0.47 in) wide.[2][5] The plant forms associations with mycorrhizae. It mainly reproduces vegetatively.[3]

Vaccinium oxycoccos is a widespread and common species.[6][7][8][9] It is an indicator of moist to wet soils which are low in nitrogen and have a high water table. It is an indicator of coniferous swamps. It grows in bogs and fens in moist forest habitat. It grows on peat which may be saturated most of the time. The soil in bogs is acidic and low in nutrients. The plant's mycorrhizae help it obtain nutrients in this situation. Fens have somewhat less acidic soil, which is also higher in nutrients. The plant can often be found growing on hummocks of Sphagnum mosses. In North America, other species found in this forest understory habitat include leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata), bog rosemary (Andromeda glaucophylla), bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia), pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea), Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum), cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus), rhodora (Rhododendron canadense), glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula), sundew (Drosera spp.), cottonsedge (Eriophorum virginatum and E. angustifolium), and species of sedge and lichen. The plant easily colonizes bog habitat that has recently burned. It survives fire with its underground rhizomes.[2][3]

Vaccinium oxycoccos has been used as a medicine and as a food by various Native American communities. Some Iñupiat cook the cranberry with fish eggs and blubber.[10][11]

References

  1. The Plant List, Vaccinium oxycoccos L.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Flora of China, Vaccinium oxycoccus Linnaeus, 1753. 红莓苔子 hong mei tai zi
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Matthews, Robin F. 1992. Vaccinium oxycoccos. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Flora of North America, Vaccinium oxycoccos Linnaeus, 1753. Small cranberry, canneberge commune .
  6. Vaccinium oxycoccos. NatureServe.
  7. Biota of North America Program 2014 state-level distribution map
  8. Tela Botanica, Vaccinium oxycoccos L., Canneberge in French with photos, description, French distribution map
  9. Altervista Flora Italiana, Mirtillo palustre, Vaccinium oxycoccos L. includes photos, European distribution map
  10. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links