Sargent, Charles S. 1889. Vaccinium hirsutum. Gard. & Forest. 2: 364, 365, fig. 119.
Ericaceae
Species Description - Plants crown-forming, or suckering to produce small colonies, 1.5-2.5(3) m. high. Leaves deciduous, usually deep green; the lower surface non-glandular, pubescent; elliptic, either broadly or narrowly so, 1.5-3 cm. wide, 3-6 cm. long; the margin entire. Corolla ovate to cylindro-urceolate, 5-6 mm. k,ong, usually greenish- or yellowish-white, often tinged with pink. Fruit dull black, 5-8 mm. in diam., of only fair flavor.
Vaccinium coryrmbosum var. atrocarpum A. Gray, Man. ed. 2. 250. 1856.
Vaccinium corymbosum var. atrococcum A. Gray, Man. rev. ed. 250. 1857.
Cyanococcus atrococcus Small, Man. SE. Fl. 1014, 1507. 1933.
<>Diploid (2n = 24).V. atrococcum has been confused with V. arkansanum, V. mariacnum, and the "arkansanoid" and "marianoid" phases of V. corymbosum. Although usually reported from within the western half of the range of V. corymbosum (where the dark-fruited "arkansanoid" phase of corymbosum is fairly common), no plants west of central New York have been placed here with certainty. The generally lower stature, smaller leaf, flower, and fruit will usually suffice to separate this from the others.54 In the wild, the upper parts of old plants of V. atrococcum usually are much more intricately branched (giving the plants a "twiggy" appearance) than those species with which it has been confused, this aspect sometimes being sufficient to differentiate them in the winter condition. This character is not present on the low-hanging lateral branches (which are more easily obtained) and so is not evident in most herbarium material (compare figures 20 and 27).
The numerous hybrid combinations of V. atrococcum with V. vactllans have been noted under that species. On the eastern coastal plain, within the range of caesariense, the leaves of atrococcum tend to be somewhat more narrowly elliptic and less pubescent than in the South and in the Mississippi Embayment. Since these two hybridize freely, this difference is likely to be the result of gene-exchange between these species. The reciprocal exchange probably accounts for occasional plants of caesariense (or material referable to it) which are taller than usual and with more broadly elliptic leaves than the general average for this species. V. elltiottji x atrococcum hybrids are also common where these two meet. The effect of atrococcum on elltiottii has been noted under the discusslon of that species; the reciprocal exchange -results in plants otherwise referable to atrococcum but which have thinner and sometimes obseurely serrate leaves. In certain areas in northern Florida plants which could be little else than hybrids between atrococcum and darrowi are known; these will be discussed under V. fuscatutm. V. atrococcum also hybridizes with V. myrtilloides and V. angustifoltum.
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