Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

Summary 4

Vaccinium myrtillus is a species of shrub with edible fruit of blue color, commonly called "bilberry", "wimberry", "whortleberry", or European blueberry. It has much in common with the American blueberry (Vaccinium cyanococcus). It is more precisely called common bilberry or blue whortleberry, to distinguish it from other Vaccinium relatives. Regional names include blaeberry, hurtleberry, huckleberry, wimberry, whinberry, winberry, and fraughan.

Associations in sarmatic mixed forests 5

The Sarmatic mixed forests ecoregion stretches from northwestern Europe to the Ural Mountains in Russia and represents one of the broadest longitudinal expanse of any ecoregion of the Earth. Dominant canopy species include Scots pine and Norway spruce (Picea abies) intermixed with some broadleaf species such as (Quercus robur). There are a number of shrubs, wildflowers, grasses and mosses that inhabit the mid-tier and forest floor. Common low-growing shrubs include Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and Heather (Calluna vulgaris).

Example wildflowers or forbs seen in the forest understory in Sarmatic mixed forests are the Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) are: Red Campion (Silene dioica), White Campion (Silene latifolia ssp. alba), Sand Catchfly (Silene conica), Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis) and Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris). In some fens within forest clearings the Marsh thistle (Cirsium palustre) is found.

Other associates in the Sarmatic forests include some widespread ferns seen on forest floors such as Western Brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum) and Mountain Bladderfern (Cystopteris montana). Common mosses found in the more mesic soils are Broom Forkmoss (Dicranum scoparium), Stairstep Moss (Hylocomium splendens), Red-stemmed Feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi), Ostrich Plume (Ptilium crista-castrensis) and Common Hair Moss (Polytrichum commune).

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/PhotosMedium/KAN%20Vaccinium%20myrtillus%2000010.jpg
  2. (c) Hermann Falkner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5028/5650867566_57705d7c8b.jpg
  3. (c) Hermann Falkner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6099/6371191459_f211434c7e_o.jpg
  4. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccinium_myrtillus
  5. (c) C.Michael Hogan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/14314099

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