F R U T IC E T U M B R IT A N N IC U M .
G e n u s X X V II.
r
Life.., LufeJ IjStJ Lm l *
FACCI'NIUM i . T h e W i i o e t l e b e r r y . Zin.
Monogynia
si. Oct-Decándria
Uentificalion. Lin. Gen., 161. ; Alt. Ilott. Kew., 2. p. 38,5. ; Pm sh El Bor Amer 1 n . I,,..
/ n . , 162. i Nutt. Gcn. Amer., 1. p. 203. ; L a £ . i l . , 286! i Gærtn F?„°cL, t S i ) b"o„’s
iw / ”"/”'®" i'"'® ‘“i“ ' “* è " " - Inst. t. 377. i Airelle, Fr. ; Heidelbeere, Ger
Gtn. Char. C a / / 4 —o-toothed. Corolla urceolate or campanulate, more
OT less deeply 4—S-cleft; limb reflexed. Stamens 8—10, hypogynous.
/¡(Am- 2-honied, dehiscing at the summits, and sometimes furnished at
the back with two spreading spines or bristles. Style longer than the stamens.
Stigma obtuse. Berry globose, depressed at top, 4—S-celled
many-seeded. (Don’s MilL) ’
Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate, deciduous or evergreen ; membranous,
often beset with resinous dots. Flowers pedicellate, and solitary, simply
lacemose, or tufted, drooping, inodorous, tinted with various shades of red
or pink, never blue, scarcely yellowish, generally very elegant. Berries
black, purple, bluish, or red, generally eatable.— Shrubs, low. suffruticose,
gemmaceous; natives ol Europe or North America.
The /e c ie s are m a good deal of confusion, from the whole of them never
Z . - ? . " ‘“Sether in ill the lue same garden.garaen. ¥¥we e have nave followed iollo
the
allongement of G. Don. as fho latpet unz-i Kocf Kb...:__ k„.i .
a iran /m en t of G. Don, as the latest and best, not having had an opportunity
ourselves of examining all the species said to be in ciiltivation in British
gardens.
A. Lcaves deciduous.
a. Pedicels \-fiowered, usually solitary, rarely twin, or fasciculate.
1. r. M v e t i 'l i .u s i . The Little-Myrtle-Mc Whortleberry, or common
Bilberry, or Bleaberry.
Identification. Lin, Sp., 498.; Smifh Engl. Fl., 2. p. 219. ; Don’s Mill 3 d 8r>i
Engravings. Engl. Bot., t. 4-56. ; Fl. Dan., t. 974. ; and oii-j% 1153
Spec. Char., 4c. Pedicels solitary, 1-fiowered. Leaves serrated, ovate, smooth
Stem acutely angular, smooth. Calyx hardly divided. Corolla globose'
/n e ra lly S-cleft, of a very delicate, waxy, pink hue. (Don’s Mill.) A low
deciduous shrub North of Europe, on heaths, stony moors, and mountain
woods; North of Africa and Asm ; and at Nootka Sound and Nova Scotia in
America. Plentiful in Britam and Ireland, and also in Iceland; and pro
cumbent about the subalpine zone in England, '
where it rarely produces flowers. Height 6 in.
to 2 ft. Flowers delicate, waxy, pink ; May.
Berries bluish black, about the size of currants,
and covei’ed with a mealy bloom ; ripe in
October.
V. M. 2 hdccis alhk Booth has white
fruit. Plants of this variety were discovered
in 1835 in the Black Forest.
The berries are eaten in tarts, or with cream,
or made into jelly, in the northern and western
counties of England and Scotland ; and, in other
pai’ts of the country, they arc made into pies anti
tl.53. V Myi-tillus.
X L I I I . d r i c a ' c e æ : f a c c i ' n i u m .
puddings. Their juice has been employed to stain paper or linen purple.
In autumn, many kinds of game live upon them, and the plant affords them
shelter. In gardens, it may be cultivated in sandy peat, kept moist, in a situation
airy, but somewhat shaded.
M 2. V. U L iG iN o 's uM L. The Bog Whortleberry, or great Bilbory.
Ijlll. lajnji;., ‘lyy. ; omim Eng. F l., 2. f
Idenmcation. Lin. Spec., 499. 1 Smith Eng. 2. p. 210.! Don's Mill., 3. p. 851,
Myrtillus grándis Bauh. Hist. 1. p. 518.
Synonyme. JR-rtillus ■ ings.fl. r
Éngravings. f l . Dan., t. 231. Eng. Bot., t. 581. ; and ourfig. 1154.
Spec Char., 4c. Pedicels somewhat aggregate, l-flov/ered. Leaves obovate,
entire, smooth. Branches terete. Taller than the common bilberry,
and of a more glaucous hue. Leaves glaucous beneath.
Flowers flesh-coloured, with 8 long-horncd
stamens. (Don’s Mill.) A low deciduous shrub.
North of Europe, North America, and North of Asia,
in marshy mountain heaths and alpine bogs. Height
1 ft. to 2 ft. Flowers flesh-coloured ; April and May.
Berries large, juicy, black, and covered with a mealy
bloom; ripe in October.
The berries are agreeable, but inferior in flavour
those of V. Myrtillus; eaten in large quantities, they ,
occasion giddiness, and a slight headache. In France
they are used to colour wines red ; and in Siberia and
Sweden they furnish an ardent spirit that is highly vola- 1154. g uUKin6««m.
tile and intoxicating. They afford excellent sustenance
to game. In gardens, it may be cultivated like the preceding species.
i 3 . K a n g u s t i f o ' l i u m /¿Í. The narrow-leaved Whortleberry.
Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 2., vol. 2. p. 356.; Don’s Mill., 3. p.
V. myrtilloides Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer. 1. p. 234.
ingrdvings. Bot. Mag., t. 3447. j a n d o u r. _
Spec. Char., 4c. Pedicels scattered, mostly solitary, I-flowered, naked.
Leaves lanceolate, nearly entire, downy at the ribs and
margins. Berries large, and known by the name of
bluets. (Don’s Mill.) A low deciduous shrub. Canada.
about Hudson’s Bay and Labrador; and the
high alpine woods of the Rocky Mountains, from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. Height 1 ft. to 2 ft. Introduced
in 1776. Flowers flagon-shaped, yellowish green,
or white tinged with red ; April and May. Berries
large, globose, blackish purple, highly esteemed by the
inhabitants of the countries where the plant is indigenous
; ripe in October. 1155. V. angustifòlium.
. 4. V. CÆSPITO'SUM Michx. The tufted Whortleberry
Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 1. p. 234.; Don’s Mill., 3. p. 852.
Engravings. Bot. Mag., t. 3429. ; and ourfig. 1156.
Spec. Char., 4c. Flow'ers lateral, solitary, nearly sessile.
Leaves somewhat wedge-shaped, rounded, obtuse,
serrated, membranous, very smooth. A little shrub,
with many crowded stems, from 2 in. to 4 in. high,
very smooth in every part. Corolla of a short urceolate
form. Berries nearly sessile, globose. (Boris
MUL) A small deciduous shrub, with crowded stems.
Hudson’s Bay, in the Island of Sitcha, and on the Rocky
Moimtains. Height 6 in. Introducedin 1823. Flowers
numerous, exceedingly delicate and beautiful, whitc,
with a deep tinge of blush; May. Berry blue black,
with a glaucous bloom ; ripe in October. 1156. K. cfBSpitòsum.