{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}} {{More footnotes needed|date=July 2018}} {{speciesbox |image = Starr 011003-0146 Vaccinium reticulatum.jpg |image_upright = 1.1 |taxon = Vaccinium reticulatum |authority = Sm. |synonyms = * ''Vaccinium berberidifolium'' (A.Gray) Skottsb. * ''Vaccinium pahalae'' Skottsb. * ''Vaccinium peleanum'' Skottsb. | synonyms_ref = <ref>{{PLANTS |symbol=VARE |taxon=Vaccinium reticulatum |access-date=2018-07-18}}<!-- in the Synonyms tab --></ref> }} {{nutritional value | name=Oheloberries, raw | image=Starr 011107-0043 Vaccinium reticulatum.jpg |caption = ''Vaccinium reticulatum'' fruits, Maui | kJ=117 | protein=0.38 g | fat=0.22 g | carbs=6.84 g | calcium_mg=7 | iron_mg=0.09 | magnesium_mg=6 | phosphorus_mg=10 | potassium_mg=38 | sodium=1 | vitC_mg=6 | thiamin_mg=0.017 | riboflavin_mg=0.036 | niacin_mg=0.27 | vitA_ug=42 | source_usda = 1 | note=[https://archive.today/20130626174214/http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list?qlookup=09192&format=Full Link to USDA Database entry] }}

'''''Vaccinium reticulatum''''', known as '''{{lang|haw|{{okina}}ōhelo {{okina}}ai|italics=yes}}''' in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the heather family, Ericaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It grows at altitudes of {{convert|640|-|3700|m|ft|abbr=on}} on lava flows and freshly disturbed volcanic ash on Maui and Hawai{{okina}}i, and less commonly on Kaua{{okina}}i, O{{okina}}ahu, and Moloka{{okina}}i. Adaptations to volcanic activity include the ability to survive ash falls of over {{convert|25|cm|abbr=on|frac=2}} depth.

==Description== {{lang|haw|{{okina}}Ōhelo {{okina}}ai|italics=yes}} is a shrub usually {{convert|0.1-1.3|m|abbr=on|frac=2}} tall, rarely up to {{convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on|frac=2}}. The leaves are evergreen, spirally arranged, leathery, oval, {{convert|1|-|3|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} long, red when freshly emerging, then green or green with reddish patches. The flowers are bell-shaped, {{convert|8|-|12|mm|frac=8|abbr=on}} long, variable in color, red to yellow or pink.

===Fruit=== The fruit is a berry {{convert|8|-|14|mm|abbr=on|frac=8}} diameter, ranging in color from blue to purple to red to orange to yellow. The color does not necessarily indicate the ripeness of the berries. The berries taste somewhat similar to the related cranberries, less ripe ones being tart, while ripe berries are quite sweet but bland. They are an important food source for the nēnē (''Branta sandvicensis''); the seeds are dispersed in the birds' droppings (endozoochory).

==Uses== The berry is edible and flavorful.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-11-11 |title=Vaccinium reticulatum - Ohelo 'Ai, Hawaiian Blueberry |url=https://wildlifeofhawaii.com/flowers/646/vaccinium-reticulatum-ohelo-ai/ |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=Hawaiian Plants and Tropical Flowers |language=en-US}}</ref>

Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC) can be obtained by the means of ''V. pahalae'' ''in vitro'' cell culture.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kandil |first1=F. E. |last2=Song |first2=L. |last3=Pezzuto |first3=J. M. |last4=Marley |first4=K. |last5=Seigler |first5=D. S. |last6=Smith |first6=M. A. L. |title=Isolation of oligomeric proanthocyanidins from flavonoid-producing cell cultures |journal=In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant |volume=36 |page=492 |year=2000 |issue=6 |doi=10.1007/s11627-000-0088-1|s2cid=25781920 }}</ref>

==See also== *Hawaiian Vaccinium

==References== {{Reflist}} *

==External links== {{Commons category}} {{Wikispecies|Vaccinium reticulatum}} {{Wiktionary|ohelo}}

* [http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/bridges/bigisland/species/vacret.htm Plants of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: ''Vaccinium reticulatum''] * {{cite web |title=Invasion and Recovery of Vegetation after a Volcanic Eruption in Hawaii (Chapter 6) |website=NPS.gov (U.S. National Park Service) |date=1998-04-24 |url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/science/5/chap6.htm }} * {{cite web |title=Vaccinium reticulatum - Plants of Hawaii |website=Starr Environmental |url=http://www.starrenvironmental.com/images/search/?q=Vaccinium+reticulatum&sort=interestingness-desc&show=show |ref={{sfnref |Starr Environmental}} }} * {{cite web |url=https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=23622#null |title=ITIS Standard Report Page: Vaccinium reticulatum |website=Interagency Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) }} * {{cite web | title=ʻŌhelo | publisher=Kapiolani Community College | website=Native Hawaiian Plants | date=2010-06-10 | url=http://old.kcc.hawaii.edu/campus/tour/plants/pohelo.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610002201/http://old.kcc.hawaii.edu/campus/tour/plants/pohelo.htm | archive-date=2010-06-10 }} * {{cite web|url=http://www2.hawaii.edu/~eherring/hawnprop/vac-reti.htm|title=Vaccinium reticulatum |work=Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database|publisher=University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa}} * {{cite web|url=http://data.bishopmuseum.org/ethnobotanydb/ethnobotany.php?b=d&ID=ohelo|title=ohelo, ohelo kau laau (V. calycinum), olelo ai (V. reticulatum)|publisher=Bernice P. Bishop Museum|work=Hawaii Ethnobotany Online Database|access-date=2013-01-22|archive-date=2014-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316062731/http://data.bishopmuseum.org/ethnobotanydb/ethnobotany.php?b=d&ID=ohelo|url-status=dead}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2081166}}

Category:Alpine flora Category:Endemic flora of Hawaii reticulatum Category:Flora without expected TNC conservation status

{{Vaccinioideae-stub}}