The taxonomy of Vaccinium § Cyanococcus: a summation

Abstract

Vaccinium § Cyanococcus is defined by having verrucose twigs, dimorphic perennating buds, corymbose inflorescences, pedicels that are articulated with the calices, and berries that are pseudo-10-loculed. The section is endemic to North America and contains nine species, four of which have a hybrid origin. The ancestral group had a probable South American origin and migrated through the Caribbean to Florida, where the group underwent radiation. It is also shown that the lowbush diploid species in the section do not interbreed freely in all combinations and that the F1 hybrids may have a selective disadvantage.