Vaccinium
Vaccinium is a genus of flowering plants in the heath family, Ericaceae. Its species include blueberries, cranberries, bilberries, and lingonberries.
Ericaceae: Ericaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes heaths, rhododendrons, and Vaccinium. Vaccinium belongs to this family, whose characteristic floral structures help place the genus.
Blueberry: A blueberry is an edible fruit produced by several Vaccinium species, especially species in the section Cyanococcus. Blueberries are the genus's major cultivated fruit crop, selected for yield, size, and flavor.
Vaccinium macrocarpon: Vaccinium macrocarpon is the North American species commonly called the large cranberry. It is the principal cultivated cranberry species in North America.
Plant taxonomy: Plant taxonomy is the science of naming, describing, and classifying plants. The genus's changing boundaries reflect how botanists classify diverse, closely related species.
Berry: A berry is a fleshy fruit formed from one flower's ovary, usually with seeds embedded in its pulp. Many Vaccinium fruits are botanically berries, though cranberry fruit has distinctive internal air spaces.
Cranberry: A cranberry is the tart red fruit of Vaccinium macrocarpon or related species. Cranberry farming uses flooded harvests for some crops, although the plants grow on drained beds.
Vaccinium myrtillus: Vaccinium myrtillus is a low-growing Eurasian shrub that produces bilberries. Its small, dark fruits illustrate a wild berry crop with deeply pigmented flesh.
Flora of the Arctic: The flora of the Arctic comprises plant species adapted to the region's cold climate and short growing season. Several Vaccinium species extend into Arctic and subarctic habitats.
Evergreen: An evergreen plant retains its leaves throughout the year rather than shedding them all seasonally. Several Vaccinium species, including lingonberry, keep their leaves through winter.
Lingonberry: Lingonberry is the red, tart fruit of Vaccinium vitis-idaea, an evergreen shrub native to northern regions. Its fruit is gathered and cultivated for preserves and traditional foods across northern Europe.