Gaylussacia baccata K.Koch

Black huckleberry (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Ericales > Ericaceae > Gaylussacia

Characteristics

Plants 3-10(-15) dm, form-ing small to extensive colonies; branches spreading; twigs of current season pale green, glabrous. Leaves: petiole 1-2(-4) mm; blade pale green abaxially, green to yellowish green adaxially, ovate to oblong, (2-)2.5-5 × 1-2.5 cm, membranous to subcoriaceous, base cuneate, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces glabrous, sometimes puberulent on major veins, sessile-glandular. Inflorescences drooping, 3-7-flowered, bracteate, 0.5-1.5 cm, glabrous; bracts early-deciduous, not leaflike (linear-lanceolate), 2-4 mm, shorter than pedicels, glabrous, sessile-glandular. Pedicels 3-6 mm, glabrous, sessile-glandular; bracteoles 1(-2), 1-2 mm. Flowers: sepals 5, 0.7-1 mm, glabrous, sessile-glandular; petals 4-5, corolla orange to red, campanulate-conic, 4-5 mm, lobes 0.5-0.7 mm; filaments 2 mm, glabrous; anthers included, 2.2-2.5 mm, thecae divergent distally; ovary glabrous. Drupes juicy, sweet, glossy black (sometimes blue, rarely white), 6-7 mm diam., glabrous. Seeds ca. 2 mm. 2n = 24.
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Much-branched shrub to 1 m; lvs deciduous, elliptic to oblong or oblanceolate, 2–5 cm, entire, resinous-glandular on both sides; racemes short, rarely surpassing the lvs; pedicels commonly shorter than the fls; bracts oblong to linear, deciduous; pubescence of the infl and cal usually copious, the glands sessile and commonly numerous, the sep not ciliate; cor 4–6 mm, its tube half as thick; fr black, 6–8 mm; 2n=24. Dry, sandy or rocky soil, woods, and thickets; Nf. and Que. to Ont. and Man., s. to Ga., Ala., and Mo. May, June. (Decachaena b.)
A small shrub. It loses its leaves in the winter. It grows 1 m tall and spreads 1 m wide. The flowers are dull red and urn shaped. The fruit are round and shiny. They are about 5 mm across.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 1.0
Mature height (meter) 1.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) 0.4
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a temperate plant. In Canada it grows in dry rocky or sandy soils. It also grows in woodlands and swamps. It suits hardiness zone 3-7.
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Dry or moist woods, thickets and clearings, on acidic sandy soils.
Light 3-6
Soil humidity 2-5
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 1-5
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-7

Usage

The fruit are eaten raw. They can be used in preserves or cooked with sugar. They are used in pies and jams. They are also used for wine. They can be mixed with four or cornmeal and made into bread.
Uses environmental use food medicinal
Edible fruits seeds
Therapeutic use Antidiarrheal (bark), Blood Medicine (fruit), Ceremonial Medicine (fruit), Liver Aid (fruit), Antidiarrheal (leaf), Kidney Aid (leaf)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings, divisions or seedlings.
Mode cuttings divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -40
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Gaylussacia baccata leaf picture by norbert verneau (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Gaylussacia baccata flower picture by norbert verneau (cc-by-sa)
Gaylussacia baccata flower picture by norbert verneau (cc-by-sa)
Gaylussacia baccata flower picture by Sarah Cornell (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Gaylussacia baccata world distribution map, present in Canada, France, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:858401-1
WFO ID wfo-0000695679
COL ID 6JYVK
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 761886
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Adnaria resinosa Andromeda baccata Decamerium resinosum Gaylussacia baccata Gaylussacia resinosa Vaccinium resinosum Decachaena baccata Gaylussacia baccata f. leucocarpa Gaylussacia resinosa f. leucocarpa Decachaena baccata var. glaucocarpa Gaylussacia baccata var. glaucocarpa Gaylussacia resinosa var. glaucocarpa Gaylussacia resinosa var. leucocarpa Gaylussacia baccata f. glaucocarpa Gaylussacia baccata f. baccata