Sargent, Charles S. 1889. Vaccinium hirsutum. Gard. & Forest. 2: 364, 365, fig. 119.
Ericaceae
Species Description - Plants in sometimes dense colonies, but usually not extensive, 0.4-0.7 m. high. Leaves deciduous, green; the lower surface non-glandular; pubescent; ovateelliptic, 1.5-2.5 cm. wide, 2.5-5.5 cm. l6ng; the margin entire. (The pedicels and hypanthium glandular-pubescent.) Corolla cylindro-urceolate, 7-10 mm. long, densely glandular-pubescent. Fruit black, 6-10 mm. in diam., glandular-pubescent, the gland-hairs 1-1.5 mm. long.
Cyanococcuts hirsutus Small, Man. SE. Fl. 1016, 1507. 1933.
Tetraploid (2n = 48).
In a more thorough treatment of the general systematics of the Vaceinieae, it is likely that V. hirsutum would be removed from the Cyanococcus group on the basis of the glandular pubescence of its flowers and fruit. Such characters, however, are by no means unusual in the Vaceiniaceae, being present in both the Gaylussacieae and Vaceinieae; in fact, it is an old ericalean habit to have such structures on the reproductive parts. In considering this material it should be noted that the F, hybrids which Coville produced some years ago between the diploids V. myrtiltoides and both Polycodium stamineum and P. melanoca,rpum were surprisingly similar to V. hirsutum (especially the V. myrtilloides x P. melano- carpurn combination), except that they were slightly smaller and lacked the glandular hairs of V. hirsutum. On the other hand, forms (species?) of Poly- codium are known with abundant gland-hairs on the flowering branches, pedicels, flowers, and fruit. One can only wonder whether, if Coville had used such plants instead of those he did, he might not have produced a plant even more similar to V. hirsutum. Such a plant, even though partially sterile, through induced polyploidy could produce fertile tetraploid offspring and so build up an effective population. In attempting to reproduce V. hirsutum, it is suggested that one of the very pubescent-leafed, black-fruited margarettae phases of va,cillans be tried instead of myrtilloides. Such a plant, in combination with one of the pubes- cent-leafed, non-glaucous, gland-bearing forms of Polycodium, would be quite as likely to yield a plant of nearly the same structure and more equal in its ecological requirements. This problem is one of the more intriguing ones yet facing us in our studies of the Vaceiniaceae.
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