New York Metropolitan Flora

Common Names

Male-Berry, He-Huckleberry

Field Identification

Deciduous shrubs with elliptic leaves, very small vase-shaped flowers, and persistent capsules.

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Nomenclature

*Vaccinium ligustrina L., Sp. Pl. 1: 351. 1753. *Andromeda ligustrina (L.) Muhl., Cat.. Pl. Amer. Sept. 43. 1813. *Lyonia ligustrina (L.) DC., Prodr. 7(2): 599. 1839. *Xolisma ligustrina (L.) Britton ex Small & Vail, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 4: 135. 1894. *Arsenococcus ligustrinua (L.) Small in Small & J. J. Carter, Fl. Lancaster Co. 218, 319. 1913. TYPE: United States. Pennsylvania: P. Kalm s.n. (Lectotype: LINN, sheet no. 497.11 [IDC 177, f. 287, r. 2, c. 2]), selected by(Judd, 1981).

*Andromeda paniculata Aiton, Hort. Kew 2: 69. 1789, nom. illeg. (Art. 52.1). *Lyonia paniculata (Aiton) Nutt., Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 266. 1818. TYPE: two elements.

*Andromeda paniculata var. nudiflora Michx., Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 255. 1803. TYPE: United States. Pennsylvania: A. Michaux s.n. (Lectotype: P-MICH [IDC 6211. 58: I. 7.]), selected by (Judd, 1981). A second sheet Michx. #156 at PH!.

Description

HABIT perennial, deciduous, phanerophyte, shrubs, autotrophic, monoclinous, with fibrous roots, 1-4 m tall, not modified or with rhizomes (?).

STEMS erect, round, not winged, "regular". Prickles absent. Bark striate or fibrous, exfoliating, gray. Branches ascending, gray, round, not winged, 1.2-5 mm in diam. Twigs light orange-yellow or light greenish yellow, round or slightly angled, 0.8-0.9 mm in diam., smooth (sulcate), hairs short and unbranched, appressed or spreading, multicellular, uniseriate or multiseriate, white or light yellow, sparse to dense, throughout, not glabrescent, glands present or without glands, glands at apex of hairs, dark red. Nodal diaphragms absent. Pith present, light orange-yellow, round, continuous. Thorns absent. Aerial roots absent. Sap translucent. Resin absent.

BUDS buds terminal and axillary buds monomorphic. Terminal bud present, lanceovoid, 2.5-5.1 mm long, pointed. Axillary buds present, 1, lanceovoid, 2.5-4.1 mm long, pointed. Bud scales 3, light orange-yellow, imbricate, lanceolate, chartaceous, acute, glabrous, without glands. Leaf scars broadly crescent, 0.8-1.1 mm high, 1.3-1.6 mm wide, glabrous. Vascular bundle scars 1, circular, 0.1 mm tall.

LEAVES alternate, 1 per node, spaced ± evenly along stem, divergent from stem, simple. Stipules absent. Leaves petiolate, petiole "typical", 0.3-0.4 cm long, hairs short and unbranched, erect or appressed, multicellular, uniseriate or multiseriate, moderately dense, throughout, not glabrescent, glands present or without glands, glands at apex of hairs. Leaf: abaxial surface light greenish yellow, adaxial surface yellowish green, blades elliptic or obovate, plane, symmetric, (1.5-)2.5-7.5 cm long, 1-3.5 cm wide, coriaceous, base cuneate (attenuate), margin serrulate, apex acuminate or cuspidate or acute, abaxial surface hairs short and unbranched, appressed, multicellular, multiseriate, light yellow, moderately dense, throughout, not glabrescent, glands present or without glands, glands at apex of hairs, dark red, adaxial surface hairs short and unbranched, appressed, multicellular, uniseriate, white or translucent, moderately dense, throughout, not glabrescent, without glands. Brochidodromous venation, veins 6-9. Leaf lobes absent. Spines absent. Tendrils absent.

INFLORESCENCES monomorphic, regular or, if dimorphic, female inflorescence compound, panicle or fascicle, axillary. Peduncle absent. Rachis present, 2.7-8 cm long, with bracts. Bracts sessile, blades: abaxial surface light orange-yellow or light yellowish green, adaxial surface light orange-yellow or yellowish green, oblanceolate or obovate, curved, 1.5-3.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, base cuneate or truncate, margin entire or ciliate, apex acuminate, abaxial surface glabrous or hairs long and unbranched, abaxial hairs appressed, multicellular, uniseriate, white, dense, throughout, not glabrescent, without glands, adaxial surface glabrous, without glands. Pedicel 3-5 mm long, hairs short and unbranched, hairs appressed or spreading, multicellular, multiseriate, white or light yellow, moderately dense or dense, throughout, not glabrescent, glands present or without glands, glands at apex of hairs, dark red. Bracteoles 2, sessile, at base of pedicel, not connate, bracteoles: abaxial surface orange-yellow, bracteole: adaxial surface orange-yellow, triangular, plane, 0.2-1.3 mm long, 0.2-0.3 mm wide, base truncate, margin entire, apex acuminate or cuspidate. Cupules absent.

FLOWERS serotinous, formed on short shoots, monomorphic, with sepals and petals readily distinguishable from one another, bisexual, flowers white, 5-merous, 2.8-3.4 mm long, 2.7-3 mm wide, 1-13 flowers per inflorescence, perianth of two whorls. Calyx present, actinomorphic, acetabuliform, of free sepals, persistent, abaxial and adaxial surfaces the same color, light greenish yellow or green, uniform, 0.8-1 mm long, 2-2.1 mm wide. Sepals or sepal lobes 5, ovate or triangular or very widely ovate or very widely trullate or widely depressed ovate or shallowly deltate or depressed ovate or shallowly triangular, 0.7-1 mm long, 0.8-1.2 mm wide, base truncate, margin entire, apex acute, abaxial surface hairs short and unbranched, appressed, multicellular, uniseriate or multiseriate, white, moderately dense, throughout, not glabrescent, glands present or without glands, glands at apex of hairs, dark red, adaxial surface glabrous, without glands. Epicalyx absent. Corolla present, actinomorphic, urceolate, of fused petals, deciduous, abaxial and adaxial surfaces the same color, white, uniform, 2.8-4 mm long, 2.8-3 mm wide, corolla limb 0.4-0.5 mm long, 1.7-1.9 mm wide. Petals or petal lobes 5, "normal", deltate, 0.5 mm long, 0.5-0.6 mm wide, base truncate, margin entire, apex acute, abaxial surface glabrous or hairs long and unbranched, appressed, multicellular, multiseriate, white, dense, throughout, not glabrescent, without glands, adaxial surface glabrous, without glands. Gynoecium syncarpous. Carpels 5. Stigmas 1, truncate. Styles persistent, 1, 1.5 mm long. Ovary superior, nectiferous disk present, covered with multicellular-uniserriate, translucent hairs. Locules 5. Placentation axile (to subapical). Androecium obdiplostemonous. Stamens 10, 1.5-1.7 mm long. Anthers oblong, opening by pores in terminal tubes, opening 1/4 of entire anther, bithecal, light orange-yellow, papillose, spurred. Filaments free, S-curved, white, hairs short and unbranched, erect, unicellular, uniseriate. Staminodes absent.

FRUITS loculicidal capsule, dark yellowish orange or dark orange-yellow, globose to subglobose, 2.8-3 mm long, 3-3.2 mm wide, glabrous or hairs long and unbranched, appressed, multicellular, multiseriate, white, moderately dense, throughout, not glabrescent, without glands.

SEEDS many, dark orange-red or dark reddish orange or dark orange, oblong, 1.1-1.5 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm wide, wingless, not tailed, lineolate or lineate.

Habitat

(Wherry, 1920)

Wet areas (swamps, bogs, and marshes) and dry areas (fields, woods, and roadsides) in dry upland peat and wet sphagnum peat, with pH of 4.5-5.5.

Rarity Status

Heritage global rank -- ?

Connecticut -- Not listed

New Jersey -- Not listed

New York -- Not listed

Species Biology

Flowering

May [week 3] - July [week 4] (September [week 1]).

Pollination

(Judd, 1981)

Melittophily -- Bumblebee pollinated (Bombus ternarius Say).

Autogamy.

Fruiting

June [week 3] - November [week 4], old fruit persisting until June [week 1].

Dispersal

Unknown.

Germination

Dirr & Heuser 1987 cited in (Young & Young, 1992)

Germinable: Seeds germinate without pretreatment.