Vaccinium floribundum

Vaccinium floribundum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Vaccinium
Species: V. floribundum
Binomial name
Vaccinium floribundum
Kunth 1819
Synonyms[1]

Vaccinium floribundum, commonly known as mortiño or Andean blueberry, is a slender shrub that grows in the northern Andes in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela at elevations from 1,800 to 3,800 metres (5,900 to 12,500 ft). It can reach 2–3 m (6 ft 7 in–9 ft 10 in) high or it can be dwarf and prostrate. The plant produces an edible fruit, a round berry that is bluish black and glaucous, that is collected and eaten raw and used in preserves. It is sold at some markets and is used for a dish celebrating the Day of the Dead along with spices and other chopped fruits.[2]

References

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