Thinleaf huckleberry

Description

Vaccinium membranaceum is a species within the group of Vaccinium commonly referred to as huckleberry.This particular species is known by the common names thinleaf huckleberry,tall huckleberry,big huckleberry,mountain huckleberry,square-twig blueberry,and (ambiguously) as "black huckleberry".Vaccinium membranaceum is an erect shrub growing up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in maximum height.The new twigs are yellow-green and somewhat angled.The deciduous leaves are alternately arranged.The very thin to membranous,oval leaf blades are up to 5 centimeters (2 inches) long.The edges are serrated,with each tiny tooth tipped with a glandular hair.Solitary flowers occur in the leaf axils.Each is around 6 millimeters (1/4 inch) long,urn-shaped to cylindrical,and pale pink to waxy bronze in color.They are pollinated by bees.The fruit mature fruit ranges from red through bluish-purple to a dark,almost black berry about a centimeter wide.Each fruit contains an average of 47 tiny seeds.