Sirhowy Hill Woodlands

Scientific name: Vaccinium myrtillus

Bilberry

Bilberries are any of several primarily Eurasian species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium (family Ericaceae), bearing edible, nearly black berries. The species most often referred to is Vaccinium myrtillus L., but there are several other closely related species.

“Vaccinium myrtillus 4858” by Walter Siegmund, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0.

How to identify?

Bilberries – which are native to Europe, including the British Isles – are to be distinguished from North American blueberries, although the two species are closely related, being of the same Vaccinium genus. Bilberry fruits have a smooth, circular outline at the end opposite their point of attachment, whereas blueberries retain persistent sepals there, leaving a rough, star-shaped pattern of five flaps.

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Scientific Name

Vaccinium myrtillus

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