The taxonomic status ofVaccinium pallidum, the hillside blueberries includingVaccinium vacillans

摘要

Three hundred and seventy three specimens ofVacciniumsect;Cyanococcuswere collected from 43 sites in eastern North America for taxonomic studies. Data collected using various techniques indicate that the hillside blueberries should be recognized as a single species for which the nameVaccinium pallidumAiton has nomenclatural priority. Three characters, viz. plant height, leaf width and shape, and leaf margin, separateV. pallidumfromV. angustifolium; plant height, growth habit, and leaf width separateV. pallidumfromV. corymbosum; while leaf size and shape, glandular indumentum, and calyx pubescence separateV. tenellumfromV. pallidum. AlthoughV. pallidumandV. corymbosumare sympatric, only a few natural hybrids have been found among the collected material. Crossing trials among the species yielded experimental phenological data which corroborated the validity of these morphological groups.