Vaccinium
ovalifolium on the North Coast
This is one of the North Coasts friendlier plants.
It produces small white flowers before it even puts out the leaves. In sunny
spots it is often the first native plant to bloom.
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The
Red stems are showier than the flowers
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First the Flower blooms and then the leaves open up |
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Modular Construction The flowers corolla along with the anthers falls off, then the leaves start doing their work of providing nourishment for the forming huckleberry
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Early in the season every open flower harbored one or more flies. There was nectar available and I thought this might be a very specialized fertilization story.—the small flower opening’ the anthers weird horns (awns) etc. |
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But a quick look at the literature made this unlikely. All the Vaccinium species had similar anthers with small upside down hanging flowers.
Most the anthers appear to open at their apex which may explain why upside down as an incoming fly would have pollen fall on it.
And while the flies were smaller,l they did not look much different from those found on the pussy willows.
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Cruising
thru the Vaccinium literature in 2000
Here is the best summary I came across --- forestry oriented site, taxonomically suggests forms hybrids with Alaskan huckleberry easily VACOVL is preferred identifier in databases.
What species is that blueberry?
Seem the distinction between Alaskan Huckleberry and oval leafed huckleberry is contentious. One authority says all you have to do is taste them to differentiate them.
But one of the more prestigious forums has decided they should be treated as one species for now.
Easily started from either seeds or cuttings says this Malaspina study, if you were planning to start your own huckleberry plantation.