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Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Vaccinium vitis-idaea is a small evergreen shrub in the heath family, Ericaceae. It is known colloquially as the lingonberry, partridgeberry, foxberry, mountain cranberry, or cowberry. It is native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Commercially cultivated in the United States Pacific Northwest and the Netherlands, the edible berries are also picked in the wild and used in various dishes, especially in Nordic cuisine.
Vaccinium vitis-idaea spreads by underground stems to form dense clonal colonies. Slender and brittle roots grow from the underground stems. The stems are rounded in cross-section and grow from 10 to 40 cm (4 to 16 in) in height. Leaves grow alternately and are oval, 5–30 mm (1⁄4–1+1⁄8 in) long, with a slightly wavy margin, and sometimes with a notched tip.[citation needed]
The flowers are bell-shaped, white to pale pink, 3–8 mm (1⁄8–3⁄8 in) long. V. vitis-idaea begins to produce flowers from five to ten years of age. They are pollinated by multiple insect species, including Andrena lapponica and several species of bumblebee.
The fruit is a red berry 6–10 mm (1⁄4–3⁄8 in) across, with an acidic taste, ripening in late summer to autumn. While bitter early in the season, they sweeten if left on the branch through winter. Cytology is 2n = 24. Its fruit persists for an average of 13.4 days, and bears an average of 11.2 seeds per fruit. Fruits average 84.9% water, and their dry weight includes 15.4% carbohydrates and 1.5% lipids.
Vaccinium vitis-idaea differs from the related cranberries in having white flowers with petals partially enclosing the stamens and stigma, rather than pink flowers with petals reflexed backwards, and rounder, less pear-shaped berries.[citation needed] Vaccinium oxycoccos is similar.
Hybrids between Vaccinium vitis-idaea and V. myrtillus, named Vaccinium × intermedium Ruthe, are occasionally found in Europe.[citation needed]
There are two regional varieties or subspecies of V. vitis-idaea, one in Eurasia and one in North America, differing in leaf size:
Vaccinium vitis-idaea is most commonly known in English as 'lingonberry' or 'cowberry'. The name 'lingonberry' originates from the Swedish name lingon ([ˈlɪŋɔn] ⓘ) for the species deriving from Old Norse lyngr, a cognate (thus also a doublet) to 'ling'.
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Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Vaccinium vitis-idaea is a small evergreen shrub in the heath family, Ericaceae. It is known colloquially as the lingonberry, partridgeberry, foxberry, mountain cranberry, or cowberry. It is native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Commercially cultivated in the United States Pacific Northwest and the Netherlands, the edible berries are also picked in the wild and used in various dishes, especially in Nordic cuisine.
Vaccinium vitis-idaea spreads by underground stems to form dense clonal colonies. Slender and brittle roots grow from the underground stems. The stems are rounded in cross-section and grow from 10 to 40 cm (4 to 16 in) in height. Leaves grow alternately and are oval, 5–30 mm (1⁄4–1+1⁄8 in) long, with a slightly wavy margin, and sometimes with a notched tip.[citation needed]
The flowers are bell-shaped, white to pale pink, 3–8 mm (1⁄8–3⁄8 in) long. V. vitis-idaea begins to produce flowers from five to ten years of age. They are pollinated by multiple insect species, including Andrena lapponica and several species of bumblebee.
The fruit is a red berry 6–10 mm (1⁄4–3⁄8 in) across, with an acidic taste, ripening in late summer to autumn. While bitter early in the season, they sweeten if left on the branch through winter. Cytology is 2n = 24. Its fruit persists for an average of 13.4 days, and bears an average of 11.2 seeds per fruit. Fruits average 84.9% water, and their dry weight includes 15.4% carbohydrates and 1.5% lipids.
Vaccinium vitis-idaea differs from the related cranberries in having white flowers with petals partially enclosing the stamens and stigma, rather than pink flowers with petals reflexed backwards, and rounder, less pear-shaped berries.[citation needed] Vaccinium oxycoccos is similar.
Hybrids between Vaccinium vitis-idaea and V. myrtillus, named Vaccinium × intermedium Ruthe, are occasionally found in Europe.[citation needed]
There are two regional varieties or subspecies of V. vitis-idaea, one in Eurasia and one in North America, differing in leaf size:
Vaccinium vitis-idaea is most commonly known in English as 'lingonberry' or 'cowberry'. The name 'lingonberry' originates from the Swedish name lingon ([ˈlɪŋɔn] ⓘ) for the species deriving from Old Norse lyngr, a cognate (thus also a doublet) to 'ling'.