Vaccinium cespitosum

{{Short description|Berry and plant}} {{speciesbox | image = Vaccinium cespitosum 0806025.jpg | status = {{TNCStatus}} | status_system = TNC | status_ref = <ref name="NatureServe">{{cite web |last1=NatureServe |title=''Vaccinium caespitosum'' |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.156947/Vaccinium_caespitosum |access-date=10 April 2024 |location=Arlington, Virginia |date=2024}}</ref> | taxon = Vaccinium cespitosum | authority = Michx. 1803 | synonyms_ref = <ref>{{ThePlantList |id=tro-12300045 |taxon=Vaccinium caespitosum}}</ref> | synonyms = *''Vaccinium caespitosum'' A.Gray * ''Vaccinium arbuscula'' (A.Gray) Merriam * ''Vaccinium nivictum'' Camp }}

'''''Vaccinium cespitosum''''' (also, ''caespitosum''), known as the '''dwarf bilberry''', '''dwarf blueberry''', or '''dwarf huckleberry''', is a species of flowering shrub in the genus ''Vaccinium'', which includes blueberries, huckleberries, and cranberries.

==Description== left|thumb|Fruit ''Vaccinium cespitosum'' is a low-lying plant rarely reaching half a meter (1.5 feet) in height which forms a carpet-like stand in rocky mountainous meadows. The dwarf bilberry foliage is reddish-green to green and the flowers are tiny urn-shaped light pink cups less than a centimeter (<0.4 inches) wide.<ref name="michelle">{{eFloras|1|250065710|Vaccinium cespitosum|family=Ericaceae|first=Sam P.|last=Vander Kloet}}</ref> It has many somewhat angled branches. It forms low mats as it spreads on runners or stolons. The flowers are waxy, bell-shaped, and have five united petals. Unlike true blueberries, which flowers are in clusters, the flowers always occur singly. The bloom period is between the months of May to June, where they are pollinated by bees and flies. The dark blue fruit are on the plant by late-summer. The berries also have a whitish bloom. There are many seeds in the fruit.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Dwarf Bilberry |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/vaccinium_cespitosum.shtml |access-date=2023-10-20 |website=www.fs.usda.gov}}</ref>

The fruits are blue bilberries.<ref name="michelle" />

==Distribution and habitat== ''Vaccinium cespitosum'' is widespread across much of Canada including all three Arctic territories, as well as the northern and western United States, Mexico, and Guatemala.<ref>{{BONAP|ref |genus=Vaccinium |species=caespitosum |state=1}}</ref><ref name=michelle/><ref>CONABIO. 2009. Catálogo taxonómico de especies de México. 1. In Capital Nat. México. CONABIO, México D.F.</ref> Its native habitats include gravelly or rocky meadows and mountain slopes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin |url=https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VACE |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=www.wildflower.org}}</ref> In the Great Lakes area, it is usually found in savannas or conifer forests. Where bilberry is common, it can be found at higher elevations and in spruce-fir forest. It can also be found in alpine heath and in shrublands.<ref name=":0" />

==Ecology== Both grizzly and black bears eat the fruit. The plant is a host of the butterfly species ''Lycaeides idas nabokovi.''<ref name=":0" />

==Uses== The blue bilberries are edible.<ref name="michelle" /><ref name="tktimb">{{Cite book |last1=Turner |first1=Mark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VLbAAwAAQBAJ |title=Trees & Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest |last2=Kuhlmann |first2=Ellen |date=2014 |publisher=Timber Press |isbn=978-1-60469-263-1 |edition=1st |location=Portland, OR |pages=177}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Vaccinium cespitosum}} * [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3449,3607,3608 Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Vaccinium cespitosum''] * [https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=VACA13 United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile: ''Vaccinium cespitosum''] * {{CalPhotos|Vaccinium|cespitosum}} {{Clear}}

cespitosum Category:Berries Category:Plants described in 1803 Category:Flora of Subarctic America Category:Flora of Canada Category:Flora of the Northeastern United States Category:Flora of the North-Central United States Category:Flora of the Northwestern United States Category:Flora of the Southwestern United States Category:Flora of the South-Central United States Category:Flora of Northeastern Mexico Category:Flora of Central America