BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Vaccinium myrsinites | Ground Blueberry 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Ground blueberry is an erect, much-branched shrub which grows 6 to 40
inches (16-100 cm) in height [8,32,42,44].  Although primarily
evergreen, subpersistent and even deciduous phases have been reported
[7].  This rhizomatous shrub commonly forms extensive colonies [42].
Colonies approximately 0.6 mile (1 km) across and at least 1,000 years
of age [14] have been reported.

Twigs of ground blueberry are green, verrucose, more or less angular,
and densely pubescent to glabrous [18,32,42].  Stem morphology has been
considered in detail [32].  The small, alternate, coriaceous leaves are
obovate to elliptic [42,45].  Leaf margins are entire to obscurely
serrulate [8].  Leaves are commonly glossy green to grayish green and
copiously pubescent to glabrous [8,18].  The lower surface is typically
glandular [42].

The perfect flowers are white to deep pink or reddish tinged, and
narrowly urceolate to cylindrical [8,32,42,44].  Flowers are borne in
clusters of 2 to 8 [18].  Floral morphology is highly variable [7].
Fruit is a black or glaucous blue, globular berry 0.24 to 0.32 inch (6-8
mm) in diameter [18,33].  Berries contain numerous seeds or nutlets
which average 0.04 inch (1 mm) in length [42].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Ground blueberry can reproduce through seed or by vegetative means.

Seed:  Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) seedlings first emerge within
approximately 1 month after seeds are planted and continue to emerge for
long periods of time in the absence of cold stratification [11].  Seeds
of most Vacciniums are not dormant and require no pretreatment for
germination [11].  Seeds of ground blueberry are readily dispersed by
many birds and mammals.

Vegetative regeneration:  Ground blueberry sprouts from stout, elongate,
underground rhizomes or "runners" after aboveground vegetation is
removed by fire or by other disturbances [5,15,18,42].  Plants form
extensive open clones through gradual rhizome expansion in the absence
of disturbance [42].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Soil:  Most blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) require acidic soils and can
grow on relatively infertile sites which have small amounts of many
essential elements [25].  Ground blueberry commonly grows on dry, sandy,
acidic soils in full sun [8,42,44].  It occurs on poorly drained soils
in swales but also grows on seasonally wet to well-drained sites [18].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Fire is an integral part of most Florida ecosystems [2] including pine
flatwoods, sand-pine scrub, and saw palmetto communities in which ground
blueberry is a prominent understory shrub.  These communities depend on
fire for their continued existence [1,36] and have been variously
described as representative of a "pyric disclimax" [15] or "fire climax"
[27].  Fire in these communities does not initiate multistage
succession.  Little recruitment of new, short-lived, invasive species
occurs after fire [2].  Instead, fire rejuvenates species such as ground
blueberry which were present in preburn communities.

Ground blueberry grows abundantly on many types of disturbed sites such
as in fallow fields [9], on disturbed dunes [42], and on clearcuts in
Florida longleaf pine stands [39].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Ground blueberry flowers in early spring.  Fruit ripens during late
spring or summer [33].  Phenological development by geographic location
is as follows [23,33,46]:

location         flowering          fruiting

FL               February-April     May-July
GA                  --              April-June
SC               March-April        May-June

Related categories for Species: Vaccinium myrsinites | Ground Blueberry