sterile to highly fertile, depending on which species are combined and on the particular hybrid plant within a cross ( Lyrene, 2011 ; Ritchie 1955a , 1955b ; Rousi, 1963 ; Tsuda et al., 2013 ). Vaccinium stamineum (section Polycodium ; common name
Vaccinium stamineum (deerberry), a highly polymorphic diploid species, is the only species in Vaccinium section Polycodium ( Ashe, 1931 ; Baker, 1970 ; Camp, 1945 ). Endemic in North America, it is found from southwestern Ontario to central
tetraploid V. padifolium (section Hemimyrtillus ). A self-fertile F 1 hybrid between V. corymbodendron (section Pyxothamnus ) and diploid V. vitis-idaea (section Vitis-idaea ) was reported by Ehlenfeldt et al. (2018) . Vaccinium stamineum
Abstract
HPLC analysis of the fruits of species of Vaccinium sections Herpothamnus (V. crassifolium and V. sempervirens), Pyxothamnus (V. ovatum), Polycodium (V. stamineum), and Oxycoccoides (V. erythrocarpum), determined that species in these sections fall into two distinct groups. Species in Herpothamnus and Pyxothamnus contained the 3-monoarabinosides, 3-monogalactosides, and 3-monoglucosides of cyanidin, dephinidin, malvidin, peonidin, and petunidin. Differences in anthocyanins (ACY), aglycones, and aglycone-sugars were not useful in distinguishing among species in Herpothamnus. However, differences in aglycones and aglycone-sugars were useful in distinguishing between Herpothamnus and Pyxothamnus. Species in Polycodium and Oxycoccoides contained more than 90% cyanidins, no delphinidins, and small percentages of peonidins and malvidins. Vaccinium stamineum also contained no petunidins. These two sections were similar in ACY and aglycones, but did vary in percent galactose and arabinose. Potential crossabilities, along with overall similarities in ACY among these and other sections, support a fairly recent origin of North American sections of the genus Vaccinium.
Abstract
Anthocyanins of ripe fruits of 13 species of Vaccinium (12 species of the Cyanococcus and 1 species of the Polycodium sub-genera) collected in the eastern United States and grown together near Castle Hayne, North Carolina were hydrolyzed to yield aglycones and sugars. TLC separation and identification of these hydrolysates indicated that anthocyanins of the 12 species of the sub-genus Cyanococcus (true blueberries; Camp) contained 5 aglycones (> means “in greater quantity than”) (delphinidin > cyanidin > malvidin > petunidin > peonidin) and 2 sugars (galactose > arabinose). Anthocyanins of Polycodium representative V. stamineum (deerberries) differed from those of representatives of Cyanococcus in that they yielded only large amounts of the aglycone cyanidin and trace amounts of peonidin. Hydrolysis of anthocyanins of fruits of V. stamineum and 7 species of Cyanococcus yielded glucose. Thus, species of Cyanococcus appeared to have a similar anthocyanin content. Anthocyanin contents of Polycodium (V. stamineum) were different than those of Cyanococcus but generally the same as those reported for cranberries (V. macrocarpon, sub-genus Oxycoccus). Reports in the literature indicate that anthocyanins of other sub-genera of Vaccinium contain xylose (V. myrtillis; bilberry; cyanidin-3-xylosylglycoside) and rhamnose (V. vitis-idaea; cowberry; delphinidin-3-glycoside, 5-glycoside, and 3-rhamno-glycoside). Thus, as indicated from this initial study, fruits of the genus Vaccinium appear to vary in anthocyanin content with sub-generic classification.
Abstract
Eleven species in sections Cyanococcus and Polycodium of the genus Vaccinium were compared among themselves and with standard cultivars for soluble solids, titratable acidity, soluble solids/acid ratio, weight/berry (g), stem scar diameter (pedicel diameter at the berry), scar depth, fruit removal force (picking ease), and firmness. Vaccinium ashei Reade populations collected in either Florida or Georgia showed consistent differences in acidity, fruit size, and firmness. No such pattern in geographical differences occurred with V. corymbosum L. Vaccinium stamineum L. (section Polycodium) was outstanding for high soluble solids, large fruit size, small scar diameter, and firmness. Vaccinium elliottii Chapm. seemed promising for mechanical harvesting and processing with high-acid fruit, a favorable soluble solids/acid balance, small scar diameter, and easily harvested fruit. Vaccinium angustifolium Ait. was noted for high soluble solids, small shallow scar, and picking ease; V. pallidum Ait. for high soluble solids and small shallow scar; V. amoenum Ait. for small shallow scar and picking ease; and tetraploid V. corymbosum for high acidity and favorable soluble solids/acid balance. Sufficient variability occurred among and within species for selection for improvement of most traits; however, several generations of backcrossing or recurrent selection would be required for producing genotypes with commercial fruit size.
Abstract
Vaccinium species collected from the eastern United States were grown and fruited at Castle Hayne, N.C. Harvest season extended from 5 June to 22 Aug. Vaccinium angustifolium Ait. was earliest ripening. Vaccinium myrtilloides Michx., V. elliotti Chap., diploid V. corymbosum L., and tetraploid V. pallidum Ait. populations also contained very early- to early-ripening seedlings. Early-ripening seedlings were not observed in tetraploid V. corymbosum populations and reached peak ripeness around mid-June, about with ‘Bluecrop’. One tetraploid V. corymbosum population continued ripening into early August. Vaccinium ashei Reade populations from Georgia began ripening about 2 weeks earlier than Florida V. ashei or Arkansas V. amoenum Ait. populations. One Georgia V. ashei population was only slightly later than tetraploid V. corymbosum. The Florida V. ashei populations continued ripening into late August. The diploid species V. darrowi Camp, V. tenellum Ait., and V. stamineum L., were all basically late in ripening. The potential utility of these species in breeding for both early- and late-ripening Vaccinium genotypes is discussed.
Variability in sucrose levels and metabolism in ripe fruit of several Vaccinium species were examined. The objective was to determine if sufficient variability for fruit sucrose accumulation was present in existing populations to warrant attempts to breed for high-sucrose fruit, which potentially would be less subject to bird predation. Three-fold differences in fruit sucrose concentration were found among species, ranging from 19 to 24 mg·(g fw)-1 in V. stamineum and V. arboreum to about 7 mg·(g fw)-1 in cultivated blueberry (V. ashei and V. corymbosum) and V. darrowi. Soluble acid invertase activity was negatively correlated with fruit sucrose concentration. There was no apparent correlation between fruit sugar concentration and either sucrose phosphate synthase or sucrose synthase activities, both of which were low for all species studied. The degree of variability in fruit sucrose accumulation among Vaccinium species supports the feasibility of developing high sucrose fruit, which would be a potentially valuable addition to current strategies of minimizing crop losses to birds.
range of evergreen plant species, including native Vaccinium species. Since the alternate host is not present in the southeastern states, further investigation is needed to identify the inoculum source in this area. Several southern highbush cultivars
deerberry ( Vaccinium stamineum L.). Here, we were able to use as few as 28 markers from six primers to uniquely distinguish all the 10 lowbush blueberry clones in this study. Thus, both RAPDs and our EST-PCR markers are efficient at identifying genets