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You are here >1Up Info > Wildlife, Animals, and Plants > Plant Species > Shrub > Species: Vaccinium ovalifolium | Ovalleaf Huckleberry
 

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BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

SPECIES: Vaccinium ovalifolium | Ovalleaf Huckleberry
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : Ovalleaf huckleberry is a stout, erect or spreading, diffusely branched deciduous shrub [24,26,35,58], which grows from 1.3 to 12 feet (0.4-4 m) in height [35,47]. Plants often become low and broomy in response to repeated browsing or under arctic and subarctic conditions where snow depth limits height [1,8,31]. Height is also reduced under a dense forest canopy where little light reaches the forest floor; tallest individuals are generally found under openings in the forest canopy [33]. Maximum annual growth rates in Alaska reportedly average 12 inches per year (30 cm) [26]. The slender, yellowish-green, glabrous twigs of ovalleaf huckleberry are conspicuously angled [2,47]. Twigs turn a bright red when exposed to sunlight [58]. Bark of older branches is grayish or grayish-brown [29,35]. The thin, alternate leaves are entire or have inconspicuously serrate margins [14,29,47]. Leaves are oval to elliptical but rounded at the base and tip [26,35,58]. Leaves are glabrous and generally light and glaucous below [8,35]. Pink, urn-shaped flowers are borne singly in the axils of leaves [26,58]. Flowers are generally pollinated by long-tongued bees, such as bumblebees [29]. The floral morphology of ovalleaf huckleberry has been examined in detail [53]. Fruit of the ovalleaf huckleberry is a bluish-purple, dark blue, or black berry with a distinct whitish bloom [11,29]. The relatively large berries are round, spherical, or slightly oblate, and seedy [2,26,47,63]. Each berry contains an average of 26 seeds [76], but individual berries may contain up to 150 seeds [26]. RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : Phanerophyte Geophyte REGENERATION PROCESSES : Ovalleaf huckleberry is capable of reproducing vegetatively or through seed. Vegetative regeneration appears to be of primary importance in most western huckleberries (Vaccinium spp.) [44]. Vegetative regeneration: Ovalleaf huckleberry commonly sprouts from dormant basal buds after repeated browsing or disturbances which damage the crown [1,8,31]. Layering, which occurs in the absence of disturbance, has also been reported [52]. Ovalleaf huckleberry is rhizomatous and sprouting of these structures is reportedly the primary means by which colonies expand [26]. Germination: Seeds of ovalleaf huckleberry have a short dormant period and exhibit good germination when exposured to 15 days of warm temperatures followed by 15 days of chilling [11,26]. Properly stored seeds exhibit good germination under a regime of 14 hours of light at 82 degrees F (28 degrees C) followed by 10 hours of darkness at temperatures averaging 55 degrees F (13 degrees C). Fresh seeds also germinate successfully under these conditions, or when alternately exposed to temperatures of 71 degrees F (22 degrees C) and 41 degrees F (5 degrees C) [76]. Huckleberry seedlings first emerge in approximately 1 month and continue to emerge for long periods of time in the absence of cold stratification [11]. Ovalleaf huckleberry exhibits 50 to 60 percent germination under favorable conditions and up to 93 percent germination has been observed under optimal laboratory conditions [26]. A minimum of only 2 percent full light is required for germination and seedlings can develop beneath a forest canopy. Seeds germinate on a variety of substrates including decaying wood, humus, moss, and mineral soil. Ovalleaf huckleberry typically produces seed annually, but large amounts of seed are generally produced only in relatively open areas such as in clearings or at forest margins [26]. Seeds are readily dispersed by a wide variety of birds and mammals [29]. Seedbanking: Seedbanking does not appear to be an important regenerative strategy in ovalleaf huckleberry. Although seeds can remain viable for up to 12 years in storage, longevity under natural conditions is believed to be limited [26]. In montane balsam fir (Abies balsamea)-paper birch (Betula papyrifera) forests of Quebec, an average of 6.25 ovalleaf huckleberry seeds per square meter was found within the top 1.2 inches (3 cm) of soil, but none of the seeds were viable [49]. Seedling morphology and establishment: Seedling morphology of species within the section Myrtillus is poorly known. In the ovalleaf huckleberry, transition from immature to mature foliage can be either abrupt or gradual [76]. Seedlings which develop gradually may be easily confused with seedlings of the closely related Alaska huckleberry [76]. Evidence suggests that ovalleaf huckleberry is a "seedling banker." Seedlings are capable of surviving in the forest understory until disturbance creates conditions favorable for development. Large numbers of slow-growing seedlings are commonly observed. Growth is typically slow beneath a forest canopy, and seedlings often remain in the cotyledon stage for more than two growing seasons. Best seedling survival occurs in open old growth stands and in clearcuts. Survival is often poor in immature forests [26]. SITE CHARACTERISTICS : Ovalleaf huckleberry grows in cool, moist, submontane to subalpine forests, on open slopes, and at the edges of bogs, meadows, and swamps [14,29,32,35,78]. It often occurs on elevated microsites in poorly drained areas [26]. Ovalleaf huckleberry is commonly absent from major valley bottoms but does occur on subhydric, colluvial, and morainal sites in smaller valley bottoms [1,26]. Soil: Most huckleberries (Vaccinium spp.) require acidic conditions and can grow on infertile soils which have relatively small amounts of many essential elements [40]. Ovalleaf huckleberry thrives on soils low in nitrogen [78]. Ovalleaf huckleberry grows well on well-drained, nutrient-poor to nutrient-rich soils with a pH of 4.0 to 5.0 [26,51,65]. Soils are derived from a wide variety of parent materials [26]. Climate: Sites range from dry to moist, but ovalleaf huckleberry is generally most abundant on moderately moist sites [24,26,61]. Along the coast of British Columbia, this shrub is associated with a cool mesothermal climatic regime [78]. Elevation: Ovalleaf huckleberry grows from sea level to timberline [26] with elevation ranging from 0 to 5,500 feet (0-1,678 m) [14]. In many parts of the Northwest, it is particularly common at middle elevations [47,58]. Elevational range by geographic location is as follows [58,61]: from 0 to 4,500 feet (0-1,364 m) Cascades 2,000 to 5,000 feet (606-1,515 m) w OR SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : Ovalleaf huckleberry is shade tolerant and can persist in undisturbed forests dominated by species such as western hemlock or white spruce (Picea glauca) [26,72]. It is a common constituent of climax old growth Douglas-fir-western hemlock, Pacific silver fir, and moist western hemlock forests of the Pacific Northwest [21,33,60,70], and of western hemlock-western redcedar-Sitka spruce forests of southeastern Alaska [75]. Seedlings grow in open, old growth stands or in clearcuts, but often do poorly in dense, immature forests [26]. Ovalleaf huckleberry commonly appears soon after disturbance in parts of western Washington [7] and elsewhere. Sprouts were observed on mudflow surfaces in scorch and blowdown areas soon after the eruption of Mount Saint Helens [73,74]. Ovalleaf huckleberry is also one of the first "forest species" to colonize bog margins in parts of southeastern Alaska [51]. This shrub often persists on cutover sites throughout its range and frequently forms a "nearly continuous layer" on newly harvested sites [24,26,42]. Ovalleaf huckleberry is prevalent in young stands which develop in avalanche zones in parts of the northwestern Cascades of Washington. Plants pioneer these sites through layering and sprouting after aboveground portions of the parent plants are damaged. The ability to sprout gives species such as ovalleaf huckleberry a competitive advantage during early succession in these shrub communities. Stem numbers of ovalleaf huckleberry reportedly reach a minimum 60 to 150 years after the initial disturbance. Advance regeneration subsequently develops and replaces initial pioneers, producing a subsequent increase in stem density [52]. Establishment of ovalleaf huckleberry may be slow where parent plants were absent prior to disturbance. Clement [71] observed ovalleaf huckleberry in mature climax forests and in young seral stands on floodplain gravel bars along the west coat of Vancouver Island. However, it was absent in early seral stands. No parent plants were present prior to disturbance and establishment on the newly exposed gravel bars proceeded slowly from offsite seed. SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : In coastal Alaska, bud burst of ovalleaf huckleberry begins in May. Growth proceeds rapidly, and most vegetative elongation is completed by mid-June. Stem diameters continue to increase until mid-July, and leaf senescence usually occurs by September. Along the coast of central British Columbia, leaf senescence can begin in early September, although some leaves remain on the shrubs until the end of October [26]. Ovalleaf huckleberry flowers before leaves reach one-half of their full size [35]. Flowering and fruiting by geographic area has been documented as follows [11,26,49,70]: location flowering fruiting coastal AK April-May mid-July-August BC coast ---- late June BC ---- June-August w OR May-July ---- PQ May July-August Pacific Northwest May-July ----

Related categories for Species: Vaccinium ovalifolium | Ovalleaf Huckleberry

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Information Courtesy: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Fire Effects Information System

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